


Identical Individuals

by Marengo227



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Both Morgans, Developing Relationship, Flashbacks, Gen, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-06-14 17:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 63,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marengo227/pseuds/Marengo227
Summary: In a future that never needed "Marth" to save it, the children of the Shepherds grow up without the threat of the Fell Dragon. However, out of nowhere an enigma arrives, warning Morgan and his mother of a dark fate. Most startling of all, however, is what this enigma looks like. Dark, messy hair, pale skin, soft eyes. Just like Morgan. Except this stranger is a she.





	1. There You Are

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be updated weekly, every Sunday. I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

" _Morgan, RUN!" A man screamed before the sound of steel tearing through clothing and flesh accompanied a cry of pain. Morgan didn't bother to look behind him to see who it was, all he did was run, just like the man had told him to. All around him, collapsed wood was burning to charcoal, the flames only rising higher and higher. What were once regal Ylissean banners were now only reminders of how fragile everything in the outpost truly was. The dark stone walls were scalding to the touch; he had learned that the hard way earlier when a Risen had shoved him against one, singeing the back of his cloak, and his own back with it. A nasty cut ran down his cheek, blood sliding down from it and onto his chin, where it dripped onto his already bloodstained cloak. His dark black, slightly purple hair, already quite messy normally, was now all over the place, not helped by the ash that had begun to coat and settle onto his scalp._

_Morgan was out of breath, but pure adrenaline pushed him forward despite this, forcing him down the halls. Despite having walked in them extensively and memorizing them as a result (a perk of having spent the last few months there), that crucial bit of memory eluded him, much to his frustration. So, he simply decided on the fly which direction to take. Left, right, forward, down a flight of stairs, left again. He felt like he was going in circles, and for all he knew, he was. All around him he could hear the groans of Risen, the clashing of weapons, but what got to him the most were the screams of the people. They were all fighting, and he was running. He was such a coward! Suddenly, Morgan found himself at a dead end; or more specifically, a balcony three stories above the ground. If he were to jump with nothing helping break his fall, he would surely break his legs at the very least. If only he had his satchel with him; he could've used one of his wind tomes to help break his fall! His regret didn't last long however, as something else quickly drew his attention. Below him and in the distance, the town that the outpost was meant to protect was up in flames. He saw Risen swarming the streets, chasing down anyone they could find. He knew what was destined to happen to anyone who was caught by them, and found himself feeling sick as the image appeared in his head. He reacted by covering his mouth, slumping down to the wall of the archway connecting the balcony to the building proper, clutching his stomach with his other hand. He had lost. The Risen would find him in no time, and he would suffer the same fate as those in the village below. He would die here. He would never see his friends, his crush who he never could work up the damn courage to confess to..._

_As Morgan's attempts at deep breaths began to devolve into panicked hyperventilation, a voice began to speak to him, powerful and intimidating, yet soothing and inviting. **"Morgan. Do not fear me. Do not fear my army. If you give yourself up to me, I promise you a place at my side."**  _ _Morgan shook his head furiously, covering his ears in a useless attempt to silence the voice ringing through his mind. No, he wasn't going to work with that thing! He didn't care what it looked like, or what it sounded like, or the way it called his name_ _ just like she did, _ _he wouldn't fall for it! **"Come now, I know you don't wish to die. Come to my arms, accept my embrace. Your mother is waiting."**_

* * *

Morgan gasped loudly, sitting up from his bed, panting heavily, as if he had just run a marathon. Sweat drenched his body, reacting harshly to the cold night air around him. He moved his hand up to his forehead, running his fingers through his messy hair. For the most part, the memory of his dream had faded. All that Morgan could recall were the crackling of flames and the intense, burning heat that accompanied them. However, even that small snippet of remaining memory ensured that he would have a tough time falling back asleep. After a short while of attempting and failing to do just that, Morgan gave up and got out of bed, wearing a rather plain gray nightgown. He didn't care who said they were for girls, he found them comfortable. He blushed from embarrassment, remembering all the times that the others would playfully tease him over his choice of bedclothes.

Morgan tried to find something to read in his room for a while, but it was no use. None of his favorite books, like The Tales of Sir Tyrrian, or even his mother's old strategy book, which normally provided him with much-needed comfort in stressful situations, could help him sleep at this point. Finally, he decided to go out for a stroll in the halls. Growing up in the Ylissean royal palace afforded him the comfort of a nightly stroll without the worry of encountering a wild animal or a brigand, something he knew most of Ylisse didn't share the privilege of. Of course, that didn't mean that the halls were swarming with guards. Far from it, in fact; he had noticed the number of guards going down as he grew up, likely the result of tensions from the wars Ylisse fought before his birth fading overtime. He knew tensions with Plegia were still present, however. As unfortunate as it was, it was only natural. The two countries, as well as, and because of worshiping beings who were seen as polar opposites, had engaged in bloody conflicts that were still recent enough to bear significance.

Ylisse's significant power and reputation was another reason why guards were more lax than one would expect in a royal palace. After all, in their first war, whilst it ended with the death of Exalt Chrom's tyrannical father, the former leader of Ylisse, the damage to Plegia was still immense. And in the second conflict, former Plegian king Gangrel was killed and the Grimleal, the cornerstone of Plegia's religious sect, were practically wiped out after their attempt to revive the Fell Dragon Grima, their holy figure. Morgan shuddered at the thought, remembering hearing the story of how they intended on doing it. His mother, the Ylissean royal tactician, Robin, was actually a Plegian, born with the purpose of serving as a vessel to the Fell Dragon. However, it was said that her mother smuggled her out of the country and to Ylisse. What happened to her mother was unknown, as her mother was never heard from again, with Robin being found by Exalt Chrom, back then a prince, without any memory of her past. And of course, with the Grimleal gone, it was doubtful there were any alive who knew of Robin's secretive upbringing. At some point during Robin's days in the Shepherds, Ylisse's elite military force, she was kidnapped by the Grimleal in a last-ditch effort to revive Grima. However, the Shepherds were able to locate and stop the ritual, saving her from a fate worse than death. Of course, the reasons that truly made him grimace whenever recalling this story was that his father, Frederick, died in the battle, and that Robin was pregnant with Morgan at the time.

Morgan's mind was taken off the subject of the Grimleal as he passed by his mother's room, noticing light shining from the crack underneath. He approached out of curiosity, stopping in front of it as he heard voices from within. The first sounded male, likely a soldier or guard, with the second clearly belonging to Robin. Morgan couldn't resist the opportunity to snoop, and found himself holding his ear to the door, breathing quietly.

"-could be bandits, but the signs point to something far more organized. We were intending to just let the local soldiers handle it, but then we got a more disturbing report." The unknown man spoke officially, helping lend credence to Morgan's theory of him being a soldier or guard. "There was a man spotted in the local village, wearing the robes of a Plegian dark mage. An older design too, often worn by the Grimleal." Morgan found himself growing more curious by the second, though the mention of the Grimleal made him a bit wary. He had to admit, it was a tad bit hypocritical since he wore a similar cloak. However, he considered it different, due to it being a gift; his mother's old robes, passed down to him on his birthday a few years prior. To him, they were a representation of the bond he and his mother shared, not of the Fell Dragon.

The room was silent for a short moment before Robin spoke. "I see. I'll go investigate the claims." The man tried to protest, though Robin calmed his fears. "Don't worry, I'm not going alone. I already know who I'll bring with me. However, a matter like this can't be solved with a band of soldiers. It will require a more stealthy approach in order to catch this mystery man." The man didn't sound as against the idea once Robin explained it in that way. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Robin said, spurring Morgan to quickly and quietly leave before the man could leave and catch him. His curiosity clashed with his cautiousness as he imagined why there could be someone wearing such robes in some village, brazenly enough to be spotted and reported on. He wasn't naive, he knew the Grimleal remained in some form, but they should have been operating in the shadows. Even as he got in his bed, his head with still spinning with possibilities. However, eventually he was able to fall back asleep.

Morgan certainly didn't expect to receive another rude awakening. Not even a few hours later, with the sun barely cracking over the horizon, Morgan was woken up by the sound of his mother's voice. "Hey, Morgan, rise and shine," Robin spoke softly. She looked down at him, her snowy white hair tied into its usual style of two pigtails. She was already in her Grandmaster's uniform, the one that was gifted to her by Exalt Chrom after the defeat of Gangrel years ago. One of the perks of being the tactician was that whilst her name was well known, how she looked was not. It allowed her to wear her uniform without drawing too much attention, which gave her much better protection in fights, especially against magic. Morgan grumbled, slowly getting up from his bed as he tried to keep his heavy eyes fully open. "Time for some training!" She declared, inciting a much louder grumble from her son. Robin sprang these on Morgan every now and then; "training" missions designed to help Morgan improve in some aspect of tactics or combat. And she always made sure he was completely unaware. He never knew how she was able to consistently plan and prepare them without him discovering her plans, especially since he was usually so good at catching these types of things. His friends hadn't been able to pull off a surprise party for him since he was ten.

After a brief argument with his mother on whether he really had to go to whatever place she intended to drag him off to (he did), Morgan dressed into his cloak, brushing it off just in case any dust had settled on it overnight. Some might have called the way he treated his cloak "obsessive", however he simply liked to think that he took extra good care of it in comparison to most people. As a result, whilst the armor and clothing of many of his friends had worn and torn over the years, resulting in repairs and even new outfits on rare occasion, Morgan had worn the same cloak with minimal repairs needed for years. When repairs and fixes were needed, he made sure he only went to the best, so the original look remained intact. "So, where are we going this time?" Morgan asked grumpily, grabbing his satchel from a wooden table in the corner of his room, containing a few spell tomes as well as the book of strategies that his mother had gifted him.

"While you're talented in strategy and combat Morgan, one thing I've found you've struggled in is subterfuge. The art of deception, manipulation, and most importantly, stealth. You're bad at all three." Robin bluntly stated. As much as Morgan wanted to argue against that, he knew she was right. Aside from being able to walk fairly softly and keep his breathing quiet, Morgan was as stealthy as a Risen in most situations. "So, I'll be taking you on a mission with me. It'll be just the two of us. Your job will be to monitor a small town and keep an eye and ear out for anything suspicious and report it back to me." Robin informed. Morgan asked what he should keep an eye out for. "Activity that may belong to brigands in disguise, as well as other unsavory parties." Morgan tried to hide his surprise as he pieced together what was going on. This was the village he had heard his mother discussing. She likely was intending to also teach him how to deal with surprise, since he normally would never expect to encounter someone in the outfit he had heard about. "Pack some clothes; you'll need an outfit that you can use to blend in more easily." Morgan sighed upon hearing that, knowing his mother was right yet again. His normal cloak wouldn't do him much good in terms of reconnaissance. Robin left the room after letting Morgan know she expected him to be ready in a half an hour.

Once Morgan had changed out of his cloak and into a standard tunic, packing the cloak into a bag along with a few backup tomes just in case, he headed out of the palace, where his mother waited, alone. "We won't be using horses?" Morgan asked, confused as to why there were no steeds nearby they could ride on. He wasn't anywhere near good enough on a horse to be a cavalier like others, but he was competent enough to prefer them for long-distance travel.

"The village isn't far," Robin explained to Morgan. "We'll make it there in a few days' time if we don't stop for distractions. Plus, it'll help exercise the legs. I remember when I was first with the Shepherds, why we needed to walk everywhere, all the time…" Robin began to reminisce, something with Morgan had always loved to hear from her, until a few years ago where it had finally started to grate on him. Maybe it was just puberty having done its worst to his outlook on things he enjoyed as a child, or maybe it was just that she didn't have very many stories that she hadn't already told him numerous times before. Morgan quickly changed the subject to the weather as they set off, knowing how long Robin could end up making these stories last.

It was a rather annoying three days of trudging through the Ylissean wilderness during some of the worst summer heats. Morgan had to admit however that the heat did make him glad he wasn't wearing his cloak at the time, as he could only imagine how much he'd be suffering if he had been. Robin seemed to be perfectly fine, even in her similarly dark robes. He never could figure out how his mother was so good at withstanding that sort of stuff, aside from natural experience gained from being a Shepherd for almost two decades. As much as he would gripe whenever his mother brought him on one of these training missions, Morgan greatly admired her nonetheless. He was always rather shy about admitting it, but he had dreamed of becoming a great tactician, just like her. One of the downsides to a dream like that, however, was that there wasn't nearly as much of a need for a great tactician during peacetime. Even Robin herself mainly oversaw taking care of groups of brigands like the ones nearby the town they were visiting. Morgan was by no means hoping for a large-scale conflict to give him the opportunity to shine, but he'd be lying if he didn't at least wish for some kind of opportunity to present itself.

Robin and Morgan arrived at the village of Grei during the early morning, after a rather short night's rest. Morgan would've much rather rested the entire day and started the mission the day after, but Robin would not have it. She ordered Morgan to get started immediately while she would check in at a local inn, taking their packed items with her. Once he found something important, he would go to their room, relay the information, and wait for further instructions. As exhausted as Morgan was, the idea of undercover work was admittedly thrilling for him. He felt like he was some secretive rogue, one step behind danger at every turn. Of course, that fantasy quickly dissolved as he realized the real reason why spy novels were always so exciting, that being how they always got rid of all the boring parts of the job. Morgan spent hours simply wandering around the village, listening to random, meaningless conversation from the locals. Nobody there looked out of place whatsoever, and every time Morgan thought to ask around about the dark cloaked mystery man, he realized that all he would get was weird looks and the chance to be found by his own target. By lunchtime, Morgan was no better off in terms of finding someone, and even worse, he was rather hungry. He had given his satchel to his mother, which rather unfortunately contained all of his money. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to take some out to take with him! As he was walking through the city streets, he stopped in front of a small bakery, unable to help himself from walking up to the front of the store and looking in through the window. All of those sandwiches and pastries looked absolutely delicious, making his stomach grumble and growl.

Morgan tensed up as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "Let me guess; you're starving, but your pockets are empty?" A feminine voice asked. Morgan turned around to face the woman and froze up. In front of him was a girl that must've been around his age. Soft, friendly purple eyes and dark, purple-tinted hair matched her pale, soft complexion to create a face that Morgan could find himself easily trusting. And he would've trusted someone like her, had she not been wearing a dark black cloak with a hood covering most of her head. A cloak with an all-too-familiar pattern running across it. Morgan wasn't sure what scared him more; that the girl's cloak was almost certainly the one worn by the mystery man, or that it looked identical to his own. The girl noticed the fear present on his face and tilted her head. "You okay there? You look like you've seen a ghost. Don't worry, I don't bite." She innocently giggled, fishing around in her cloak's pockets until she pulled out a sack of coins. "You remind me of someone I know…I think." She seemed to pause for a second, lost in thought, before she tossed the sack of coins at him. Morgan clumsily caught the sack, looking down at it, then back up at the girl. "My treat." She gave a grin that only served to instill Morgan with worry, whether that was the intent or not. She turned around and began walking off, only to stop and turn her head, still smiling under her hood. "My name's Morgan, by the way. It was a pleasure to meet you! Maybe we'll meet again. I certainly wouldn't mind." She giggled, facing back in front of her and walking off, leaving Morgan standing there, trying to process what had just happened.

After a few seconds, Morgan took off in the opposite direction, heading to the inn to tell Robin about what he had just witnessed. He still couldn't believe it! The very person he was looking for walked right up to him and had a conversation with him! Nevermind that he didn't even say a word back, that was irrelevant. What mattered is that he got a face and a name. Morgan. What a strange coincidence that they had the same name. And the same cloak. Come to think of it, their eye and hair colors were eerily similar as well. He shook his head; he couldn't dwell on that, not until he told Robin. He arrived at the inn, rushing inside without even looking back. Maybe if he had, he might've spotted that same girl standing across the street, watching him as he ran in. He hurriedly asked the innkeeper where Robin was staying, explaining he was her son. "Second floor, very last door at the end of the hall." The gruff-looking man answered. Morgan thanked him before running up the flight of stairs in the hallway, sprinting down to the end of the hall and knocking on the door to the room rather loudly. After a few seconds of knocking, Robin answered the door, still in her Grandmaster's outfit.

"Morgan, what's wrong? You look like you just ran a marathon, what happened?" Robin asked in concern as Morgan panted, catching his breath. Robin took a few steps back, allowing Morgan to walk in. He wasted no time beginning to explain, though he found trouble figuring out where to even start, leading to the stream of information getting rather mixed up.

"Mom, I found the man in the cloak!" Morgan began, forgetting in the moment that Robin had never actually told him about the cloak, and that he only knew as a result of his snooping. "Well, he actually found me, and he is actually a she, but the point is—" Morgan began to explain to Robin, who was giving him her complete, undivided attention. Unfortunately, that just meant neither of them noticed the person standing in the doorway.

"There you are." Morgan recognized that voice. A chill ran down his spine as he and his mother looked over at the doorway. Sure enough, there was the same hooded girl from earlier. Morgan had led her right to Robin. How could he have been so stupid!? The girl moved her hands up, grabbing her hood and pulling it down, revealing the entirety of her rather messy hair, as well as further illuminating her face. While a bit longer, her hair was remarkably similar to Morgan's, even covering the part of her forehead just above her nose, similar to his own. Morgan didn't have time to contemplate on this however, as he realized the girl wasn't talking to him. She was talking to Robin. "I hoped I'd be able to find you." She was smiling, though it didn't seem to carry any malice behind it. Her happiness looked completely genuine. What surprised Morgan the most, however, was when the girl began to tear up, sniffing as she only looked even more glad.

"I missed you so much…I'm so happy to see you again!" Suddenly, the girl ran forward, pushing past Morgan and wrapping her arms tight around the tactician. Morgan could only stand there in shocked silence as the girl spoke one last word before bursting into tears, sobbing into Robin's cloak.

"…Mom…"


	2. We Have Never Met

Robin and Morgan stood there, silent as the girl who called herself Morgan cried into Robin's cloak. Neither of them was entirely sure what to do about the situation that had just begun to transpire. Morgan looked at Robin, his eyes asking a silent question. _Who is she?_ Robin looked back, answering his question with her own look. _I don't know._

"I didn't even know where I was gonna start searching! But then, I felt that if I just stayed here and waited long enough, you would come find me, and you did!" The girl sobbed. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you, I'm so glad…" Despite the girl's sobbing and tight embrace, Robin gave no obvious emotion in return, and she had begun to notice this. She noticed how Robin wasn't hugging her back, how she wasn't softly telling her that everything was okay.

"M-mom?" The girl asked with concern, wiping the last of her tears onto her own sleeve as she stepped back, looking at her mother's face. "What's wrong?" Morgan's face slowly began to display confusion and a growing fear as she realized that something was wrong. Robin was silent, looking down at the girl with a confused expression of her own. "Say something. Mom, talk to me." The fear that was at first only barely present in her eyes had begun to wash over her face.

"I…I'm afraid you're mistaken." Robin finally spoke, her voice hesitant. "We have never met. You must have confused me with someone else." Even as Robin said it, her voice seemed weary, as if she felt she may have been wrong. After all, the girl looked uncannily similar to Morgan. Although, while Morgan shared Robin's confusion, the girl in front of her was absolutely crushed by the revelation, her heart sinking.

"No, no, you're my mother! Robin, the greatest tactician in all of Ylisse!" The girl insisted, panic filling her voice. Robin's face was unchanged, only filling the girl with more fear. "The same Robin who taught me everything I know about tactics! You gave me the cloak I'm wearing right now as a gift for my birthday!" She grabbed her satchel, pulled it down from her shoulder, and opened it, clumsily fumbling through it and eventually pulling out a book that was instantly recognizable to Morgan. Anger filled him, spurring him to finally speak up, snatching the book of tactics from her hand, much to her surprise.

"Give that back!" Morgan shouted as he took the book. "How dare you steal that from me? Who do you think you are, treating us like this? Do you really think we're gonna fall for any of this!?" He asked furiously, taking a step towards the girl. The fear on her face was only increased as he did, stepping back until her back was against the wall. Suddenly, she found the strength to swallow her fear and return his aggressiveness, snatching the book right back from him.

"And who do you think you are!? This isn't your book, and I certainly won't just let you take it from me and then accuse me of being the thief!" The girl shouted right back. Before the argument could get any more heated, Robin stepped in with the intent to end it swiftly.

"Both of you, stop!" Robin shouted, causing the two to stop their fighting and look over at the tactician. "Morgan, grab your satchel." She instructed, looking at her son. Morgan tried to protest but was interrupted. "I said, grab your satchel!" She ordered. Morgan walked over to the table where Robin had put his satchel and brought it over, handing it to his mother. "You, shut that door and lock it." Robin told the girl, who nodded, turning around and closing the door, locking it, and walking further into the modestly sized room. It was furnished with a table in the corner, an unlit lamp sitting on top. A modestly sized window was positioned over the table, shining light down on two small wooden beds. A mirror sat on the wall, just a large square of glass with no framing around it. Robin laid the book of strategies onto one bed, and Morgan's satchel on the other, opening it up and pulling out…the same book? Morgan stared in bewilderment as Robin opened them up, inspecting them page by page. Each one was identical. Every single note, the handwriting occupying the pages, the illustrations, the dog ears, all exactly alike. They even shared water damage on the exact same pages. Morgan looked over at the girl, and found she was looking right back. Both were equally perplexed.

Robin sighed, closing the books and turning to look at the girl. "What's your name?" Robin asked her. Morgan already knew the answer she was going to give, since she had given it to him before, but pondering on that only further increased his confusion.

"M-Morgan. Mom, do you really not remember me?" The girl answered, heartbroken as she realized she truly wasn't recognized by her own mother. "I can't believe this, after all I went through to get here…wait." She had seemed to realize something. "What did I go through again? I remember…wait, where even is here…?" She turned to look at Morgan. "You do look familiar. I knew you reminded me of someone, but for the life of me, I can't—" She was cut short as she clutched her head, gasping in pain. A throbbing, pounding headache ravaged her mind, the sheer pain forcing her to buckle over, falling to her knees. Morgan took a step closer, worried, only to take a step back as she screamed in pain. Her breathing had gone ragged as she tried to deal with the seemingly endless pain, feeling like someone was hammering into her skull. Her head was burning white hot, and unable to handle it all, she passed out face-down onto the floor.

Before Morgan could do anything, Robin rushed over to the girl, grabbing her gently and lifting her up enough to check her face. "Morgan, continue your reconnaissance." Morgan opened his mouth to speak, intending to rebuke her orders, only for her to look over at him, her face deathly serious, yet her eyes pleading. "Morgan, do as I say!" She shouted harshly. She had rarely ever used that tone with Morgan before. Overwhelmed by all the emotions running into him, Morgan turned and dashed out of the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Robin sighed, ashamed of herself. She hadn't meant to speak to him with that kind of tone, but with everything that was happening, she couldn't stop her emotions from getting the better of her, and she knew that Morgan wasn't going to provide the peace and quiet that this girl clearly needed. He tended to ask far too many questions. She looked back down at the unconscious girl. She had called herself Morgan. Just like her son. The more she looked at her, the more she couldn't stop thinking of her own son. She saw that a small cut had formed on the girl's forehead from the impact of the rough wooden floor, a drop of blood sliding down from it. Robin quickly wiped it away with her hand before it could get in the poor girl's eye. Possibilities were already swarming Robin's thoughts. A traveler from an alternate dimension, or Outrealm? The result of some kind of fracture in time? Perhaps a mixture of both?

Robin lifted Morgan up in her arms, setting the unconscious girl down on one of the beds, brushing some of her dark hair away from her eyes. As she looked down at the sleeping girl, she felt…a connection. She told herself that this was not her child. Even if this was Morgan, it wasn't her Morgan. But the feeling persisted. She couldn't help but remember her husband. Gods, she wished Frederick was still here. He would have helped her through this. She may have been a tactician, but she could not handle every challenge thrown her away. It was why they were such a fantastic pair, back in the heyday of the Shepherds. They each had a type of judgment the other lacked. She tried not to think of the day she lost him. The day she had to move on without him, the day that she realized Morgan would never be able to meet his own father.

 **"I wouldn't be so sure about that last part."**  Robin froze as she heard a voice she recognized all too well. She knew nobody else would be able to hear it but her; regardless, she spoke out loud. It was one of the few things that granted her confidence when confronting it.

"I had almost begun to think you had vanished for good. But yet you still persist somewhere inside of me. Why? You've lost." Robin's voice was slightly shaky, despite her best efforts to calm it. "Your followers have abandoned you. Without servants to carry out your commands, with no one to speak for you, all you are is a headache."

 **"And I'd like to think I've served as an effective headache since the day your friends stopped me from taking you over. Of course, you never told them that the Grimleal made it far enough to instill me in your soul. If you had, they would've gutted you then and there, regardless of the child you carried inside of you."**  No, she was wrong. They wouldn't have done that!  **"Then why didn't you tell them, I wonder? Then again, perhaps you realized your child was just another reason they would want you dead. Another member of my bloodline roaming free, when I had never been truly stopped? Many of them wouldn't have hesitated to kill two birds with one sword. A child born from you, who has carried more of my blood than generation upon generation of your progenitors, would more than likely be able to serve as just as worthy of a vessel as yourself."**

Robin tried to ignore that last sentence, finding the idea absolutely horrid. "Why would you tell me not to be sure about Morgan never meeting his father?" Robin asked, trying her best to fill her voice with courage. "You can't possibly think I'd believe some absurd lie about Frederick still living, regardless of how dearly I wish it to be true."

 **"Of course I don't think that. Robin, you are one of the cleverest worms I have met. A vessel as strong and intelligent as you would never believe such a bold-faced lie. No, Frederick is most certainly dead. You watched a knife plunge into his heart yourself. I'm referring to Morgan's true father."**  No…no, she didn't find it…  **"You really think that with nearly two decades of time in your head, I wouldn't have found that precious little memory of yours, pushed to the very depths of your consciousness? One doesn't forget a night like the one you spent with the Exalt. The one you spent whilst already married to your dearest Frederick."**  Her tone was laced with a sick glee like venom on a dagger.  **"I can't blame you, honestly. You held such passion for that man. Though I never expected you to be the one to make the first move. To shove him against the wall; to bring your lips to his and show him just how you had always truly felt…"**

Robin was trying not to explode at the voice in her head. She couldn't give into her goading. She wanted Robin to be furious, to scream and shout and lose her temper, to give her the petty victory she craved. Robin refused to give her the satisfaction. "Why are you telling me this?" Robin demanded, her voice dangerously low as she turned to face the mirror on the wall. Her reflection was still her own, aside from two key differences. The woman staring back at her had a dark look in her eyes, glowing a fiery purple, her lips were tilted into a wicked grin. She spoke to Robin.

 **"I just wanted to help you cope with your newly found daughter. After all, it's not the first time a child of yours came into this world by accident."**  Robin's reflection laughed, the sound of it filling her head and echoing through her thoughts, growing louder and louder. Robin slammed her fist against the mirror, shattering it into bits and pieces. She looked down at her hand, watching her blood begin to pour out of a series of opened cuts as she tried to compose herself. She had failed her son so much throughout his life, even before his birth. Now that it seemed nearly certain that this girl was her daughter, she knew that she couldn't fail. Not again.


	3. I Can't Let That Happen

Morgan returned to the inn later that day. In truth, he hadn't found anything important to tell Robin, but he couldn't stand to continue following her instructions when there was so much he needed to know about that mystery girl. It didn't take him long to piece together possibilities, but one thing was without doubt in his mind; whether it was the truth or not, that girl genuinely believed she was Robin's daughter. And the possibility of it being true only seemed more and more certain the more he pondered on it. As he entered, he got a rather suspicious look from the innkeeper; clearly the man had heard the shouting from earlier. Great, just another way he failed to lay low. He headed up the stairs and down the hall, checking the door to find no one ever locked it. He opened it, peeking inside to find the girl awake, sitting cross-legged on a bed and wrapping bandages around his mother's hand as she laid on the bed.

"I still can't believe you somehow tripped and hit your hand on that mirror." The girl said softly, her voice kind. Robin merely sighed, looking down at her bandaged hand. "No, really. I can't believe that." The girl reiterated flatly, not believing Robin's story. Regardless, she tightened and tied the bandages around Robin's hand, finishing the task. "Those may be a bit tight for a few hours, but you'll get used to them. I'd suggest changing them twice a day, considering the number of cuts you managed to receive. However, if you can get yourself a good cleric, those'll heal up just fine, no scars." Morgan watched as the girl put the spare bandaging in her satchel, satisfied with the job she did. He decided not to show himself yet.

"I'm very sorry about all of this." Robin apologized, rubbing her head with her uninjured hand. "You must be heartbroken after learning about your situation with me. Especially after you clearly went through a lot of trouble to get to me." Robin looked up at the ceiling, putting an arm over her forehead.

"It's fine, mom." The girl tried to reassure Robin, though her tone indicated her disappointment. "I mean, it seems I can't remember too much myself." She repositioned her legs so that they were hanging off the bed, pressing her hands on the bedding and leaning back. Robin asked her what she did remember. "Mainly you. I remember so much about you; your favorite foods, the way you bite your nails when you're lost in thought, lots of minor stuff like that." Morgan closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "But everything I feel like I should remember, that I need to remember, I can't. Like how I got here, or why that boy looked so much like me." Morgan glanced over at Robin.

"He looks like you for a reason." Robin began to explain, somewhat worried about what her reaction would be to the news. "Going with the theory that you've come here from another world, then it's highly likely that he is you." That caught Morgan off guard, but after a moment of consideration, it made sense. "Though he wasn't wearing it, he has your same cloak. I gave it to him myself." A brief pause filled the room, with neither woman saying anything. "…does it bother you? How in all likelihood, I'm not truly your mother?" Robin asked quietly. "I may look and sound like her, and I probably even act like her, but she and I are intrinsically different." Morgan thought about it for a second, and shook her head, smiling warmly.

"Not at all." Morgan answered. "Even if you're not exactly the same as her, you're still her. You're still Robin." She stopped to consider something, but decided to try, reaching a hand out to place on the palm of Robin's uninjured hand. "You're still my mom. Which means I still have to help save you." Morgan decided to step in, both figuratively and literally.

"Save her from what, exactly?" Morgan asked, walking inside and shutting the door behind himself, making sure to actually lock it. The two looked over at him, surprised they didn't notice his presence.

"Morgan, how long have you—" Robin began to ask her son, looking down at her bandaged hand in worry.

"Not long." Morgan answered, crossing his arms. "Now I wanna know; what is it that you're here to do? If you remember, that is." Morgan asked again, looking over at the girl. She sighed, looking down as she put her hands in her lap.

"It's still so fuzzy, trying to recall anything. But, one thing I remember is that mom's in danger. A lot of danger." Her voice began to quiver. "I can't remember why, or from what, but what I do remember is that if we don't do something, we'll lose her. And…" Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. "I can't let that happen." She quickly wiped the tears away, sniffing as she sat up, looking at Morgan. "That's why I'm here. To save her." Robin and Morgan looked at her, and even Morgan, still trying to remain the skeptic, couldn't find any reason not to believe her.

Morgan and Robin continued to ask the other Morgan question after question until it became clear that every answer would be some variation on the phrase "I don't remember". It was decided that the other Morgan would be coming back to the Ylissean palace with them, but that raised all sorts of dangers and risks. The first unanimous decision that was reached among the three of them was that they could not reveal the other Morgan's true identity. They had no way of predicting how the Shepherds would respond to the news if they did. The next course of action was to create a new identity for the other Morgan, however she seemed adamantly against the idea. Robin was the one to propose a compromise; she would assume the name of Morgana, or Morgan for short. It was still somewhat risky, though it was clear that she was not going to budge any further. It annoyed Morgan just how persistently stubborn she was.

After finalizing other aspects of their plan, such as an invented past for Morgana to be able to tell anyone curious enough to ask, as well as a reason for her to be coming back to the palace in the first place, it seemed they were ready to head back. Robin, however, still had one more thing she needed to take care of. "There's still that bandit camp outside of town. I'll go handle it myself; the two of you can get everything ready for our departure." Robin instructed before heading off, leaving the two Morgans alone.

Morgana handled the packing of hers and Robin's items while Morgan handled his own supplies, as well as heading down to the market to buy a couple of non-perishable foods, just to be safe. When he came back to the inn, he found Morgana trying on his cloak, a grin on her face as she found that it fit rather well. He wasn't sure if that, or the fact that it meant she had looked through his belongings bothered him more. "Gimme that!" He exclaimed, pulling one of the sleeves off and yanking, much to her surprise. The resulting pull caused the cloak to come off Morgana in one simple tug, leaving it remarkably undamaged. However, Morgana was left spinning, falling onto the floor. "Serves you right for looking at my stuff without my permission." Morgan huffed, putting his cloak back on.

Morgana was clearly not happy about Morgan's response, whining. "Oh, come on! What's the harm in trying it on? It's basically my cloak anyways, and it fits perfectly! No harm, no foul, right?" She asked, clearly not too perceptive when it came to the privacy of others. Even after Morgan reiterated that his cloak was still his, meaning she had to ask if she wanted to try it on, she was unconvinced. "Whatever." She crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks in a pouty manner until she realized Morgan didn't even notice, only serving to frustrate her further.

A few minutes later, Morgan finally finished his packing, making sure everything was folded efficiently. It was a rather bad habit of his when it came to clothing; his organizational habits went to the extreme. Robin had always told him it was an admirable trait, one his father shared as well. Morgan sighed at the thought. He had heard so much about his father from stories told by various Shepherds from when he was a little boy. He wished that he could feel something for him, the way his mother did, but he just felt…nothing. After all, he passed before Morgan had even been born. In his eyes, while it was regrettable to not hold any strong feelings towards his late father, it was also understandable. He heard Morgana humming softly behind him and turned around only to see her stripping out of her cloak, swiftly followed by her blouse. Morgan let out an embarrassed eep as Morgana's bare back was revealed, but his embarrassment quickly vanished as he saw what could only be described as a massive scar running down her spine.

Morgana tilted her head back to look at Morgan. "What's wrong, embarrassed?" She asked with a giggle. "We're basically siblings in a way, so there's really no need to get all flustered like that." The smile on her face began to fade as she noticed Morgan's concerned look. "Hm? What's wrong?" She asked him.

"It's just…your back." Morgan answered quietly, unable to look away from it. Morgana, confused, brought a hand to her back, feeling around until her finger brushed against the scar, inciting quite a bit of surprise. "It's massive, like someone cut you from the base of your neck to the small of your back." The scar didn't look particularly painful, as it was clear it had healed very well. Still, an injury like that must've been terrible to receive. Maybe it was a blessing that Morgana had forgotten that memory as well.

"That's strange...I'm guessing I don't have to explain that I don't remember how I got it." Morgana said with a nervous chuckle, running her hand up and down the scar for a few more seconds before changing into a new blouse, putting her cloak back on. "Ahh, there we go. Been wearing the same blouse for days now. First thing I'm doing when we get to the palace is dropping all my dirty clothes off somewhere where they'll get cleaned." Morgana sighed happily, laying down on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. "Say, Morgan, how similar do you think we really are?" She asked, glancing over at Morgan.

"That's a good question." Morgan responded, putting a thumb to his chin. "Hmm, let's see…how about I ask a question, and count to three. When I say three, we'll both answer the question." Morgan suggested, getting a nod of approval from Morgana. "Alright. What's your favorite novel? One, two, three!"

"TALES OF SIR TYRRIAN!" The two Morgans exclaimed simultaneously. Their eyes lit up immediately afterwards.

"Oh my gosh, it's such a great novel! I always had fantasies that I was a part of that world, going on dashing adventures and fighting evil denizens of darkness! Such a shame the author passed before he was able to finish that sequel!" Morgana exclaimed, giddy just talking about it.

"I know, right?" Morgan replied, just as excited. "There are so many metaphors you can find within the characters and their evolution throughout the novel, and how that can apply to reality. Like Tyrrian's—"

"Like Tyrrian's sister learning to accept her talents instead of being ashamed of them!" Morgana finished quickly. "Gods, that was so satisfying to see at the end! It's truly the sign of an expert author when you're able to read through the book and never even notice the character development due to just how organically it's written in!" The two continued to chatter about the novel for a while, eventually discovering they shared a scarily large amount of other interests as well.

"Alright, how about your favorite meal? One, two, three!"

"Pork pies!"

"Turkey!"

The two went quiet, surprised that they had finally managed to find something they did not share an equal passion for. Morgana was the first to speak. "I mean, Turkey is okay…" She muttered, trying to be nice. In truth though, she despised turkey.

"Okay? What are you talking about!?" Morgan exclaimed. "The texture of the meat, the flavor, the juiciness, it's just all perfect!" Morgana couldn't help but fire back, stating she thought Turkey was gross and highly overrated. The two got into an argument for a short while before Morgan stopped mid-point, blinking in surprise. He began to laugh, much to the confusion of Morgana. "Sorry, it's just that you've been naming so many things from your past without even giving it a second thought! I think you remember more than you give yourself credit for." It could have easily been worded to imply that Morgan was suspicious of Morgana's memory loss, but she could tell he was only encouraging her with it. She began to chuckle as well, agreeing with him.

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Robin finally returned to the inn, looking a bit tired, but otherwise no worse for wear. "Alright you two, ready to set off?" She asked, inciting groans from the both of them, neither wanting to head back just as night was coming. "Oh, quit your complaining, both of you. It'll help you to be able to handle night jobs more easily. What if you were tasked with escorting an emergency message in the dead of night? You mustn't let something like the desire for sleep get in the way on an important task such as this." They both realized Robin wasn't going to relent and got their stuff ready. Morgana had to admit, this was something she did not miss having to deal with.

The trek back took a bit longer than the trek there, on account of one extra person, but the group still made it back to the palace in under four days. Morgana's memories of the palace were still incredibly fuzzy, so seeing it for essentially the first time was quite the shock. It was by no means overly decadent; Exalt Chrom wasn't one for vanity. However, it still was in no doubt to be the home of some of the most important people in the Halidom. The three of them had arrived in the middle of the night, the crescent moon above them combining with the numerous lit torches around the palace to keep the area well-lit, allowing them to enter with ease. None of the guards asked about Morgana, though she swore a few of them gave her some suspicious looks. She paid them no mind. As the three of them finally entered the palace, Robin turned to face the two Morgans. "Alright you two, since we don't have an extra room prepared just yet, you'll have to share a room for tonight." The response was as expected; annoyed groans from the both of them. "You'll be fine for one night." Robin assured them, smiling. "What you two want to do about that bed is your decision, however. I trust you won't tear eachother to bits for the right of sleeping on it." Robin joked, her smiling growing wider as the two only grew more frustrated. Robin wished them goodnight, heading off to her own room.

Morgan led Morgana to his own room, praying nobody else would see him enter his own room with a mysterious girl. He remembered with Severa caught him striking up a conversation with a rather friendly girl in the city, teasing him about being out to get some girls for weeks. The other guys, Inigo especially, praised him for the false story Severa had spread, but that only made it worse. For the life of him, Morgan never could figure out what compelled Severa to tease him so much about girls. Sure, teasing and mocking people was what Severa did best, but she rarely focused on one person or topic as much as she did with Morgan and girls. Thankfully, Morgan didn't spot anyone looking his way as he and Morgana entered his room.

"So, I'm getting the bed, right?" Morgana asked, having clearly expected to get it without an issue. Another argument between the two quickly broke out, ending with Morgan winning ("I set up all the tents on the way back; the least you can do to repay me is sleep on the floor for a night.") Morgan grabbed a spare set of sheets and one of the pillows from his bed, handing them to Morgana who gladly accepted them. Once everything was all set, Morgan blew out the candle on his nightstand. "Goodnight." Morgana whispered. Everything was still so strange to her. She was in a world where nobody knew her, protecting her mother from a danger she couldn't recall. Despite her best efforts, all that she could picture in her mind were the vaguest blurry images of another girl.

"Goodnight." Morgan whispered back. As he turned over to sleep, Morgana kept trying to picture the girl. She had no idea how long she had been struggling with the picture in her mind, but Morgan's soft snores told her it had been a while. Finally, just as it seemed hopeless, the vision became clearer. Long hair, a deep azure blue, matching her eyes. A double-edged sword resting at her hip. Looking up at the ceiling and smiling, feeling a wealth of emotion bubble up Morgana mouthed the name that accompanied the image.

_"Lucina."_


	4. It's Short For Morgana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news! Updates will now be bi-weekly, every Wednesday and Sunday!

_The sun shone high in the sky, breaking through the forest canopy and illuminating the mossy ground below. Birds chirped all around, nesting in the trees. A nearby creek flowed with crystal clear water; water that eventually began to run red. Heavy breathing grew shallow, followed by a scream that caused the nearby birds to fly away._

_"MORGAN!"_

* * *

Morgan gasped, waking up and finding himself staring at his bedroom ceiling. Just like that dream from a few nights prior, he found himself unable to remember much, and was filled with a sense of overwhelming dread. He sighed, turning over to try and fall asleep. As he laid on his side, he noticed that he was not alone. Morgana was laying right next to him, sleeping comfortably, drawing breath through her open mouth. Morgan shouted rather loudly in surprise out of instinct, shooting up to a sitting position as Morgana awoke suddenly and screamed as well, losing her sense of position and falling off the bed, landing on the ground with a loud thump. She groaned, rubbing her lower back as she looked up at Morgan. "Owwww…what was that for?" She asked in confusion. "You scared me so bad, I can feel my heart trying to leap out of my chest…" She placed a hand to her chest to emphasize her point.

"S-scared  _you_!?" Morgan sputtered in disbelief. "I'm sorry, since when were we on the same page about you sleeping in my bed!? You can't just do that and expect me not to freak out when I wake up!" He exclaimed angrily, furious that Morgana was acting like he was somehow at fault.

"Well the ground was really hard and cold, and that bed was so comfy! Besides, it's not like you were using it all up. That's how I was even able to sleep on it with you at all!" Morgan defended herself, before looking to the site. "And you could've at least waited till morning to freak out." She muttered, only adding to Morgan's disbelief. Just as he was about to argue more with Morgana, the door to his room suddenly burst open.

"NEVER FEAR MORGAN! I SHALL PROTECT YOU!" An all-too familiar voice exclaimed, much to Morgan's frustration and fear as Owain burst into the room, sword in hand and still in his pajamas. "Aha! There you are, assassin! Prepare to perish for threatening my comrade! You now face me, Owain—" He stopped, realizing the sight in front of him, and more importantly, realizing the  _girl_  in front of him. Morgana looked up at Owain, still half-awake, her nightgown slanted and crooked, exposing one of her shoulders. Owain could only stand there, slack-jawed as another person barged into the room.

Severa was in a nightgown of her own, wielding only a dagger, rather a full-on sword like Owain was. "Assassin? Where!? Get your hands off Morgan you slimy—" She stopped the same way Owain did, staring down in shock at the girl on the ground. The two's expressions began to change, with Owain beginning to form a smile as Severa blushed furiously, only growing angrier. Morgan knew he was about to be in a world of trouble.

"Y-you…you slimy, pathetic, DIRTBAG!" Severa screamed, her ire now directed at Morgan as she grabbed the nearest item to her, a small clock, and threw it directly at Morgan. He shielded his face with his arms, only for Morgana to reach a hand up and grab it out of the air, checking the time before setting it down next to her.

"Can you not throw things? I'm already gonna lose enough sleep as is without you potentially clocking me." Morgana remarked melancholically, causing Owain to chuckle for a brief moment, before Severa's deadly gaze was aimed at him.

"W-what?" Owain asked quietly, practically shrinking from Severa's piercing stare. "Clocking? Because, clocks? It was funny." His voice was more of a squeak at that point. Severa sighed, crossing her arms and tapping her foot idly on the ground, remarking that she wasn't aiming for Morgana.

"Severa, this is absolutely not what it looks like!" Morgan insisted, terrified of what might happen if he didn't clarify things ASAP. "I mean, I know what it looks like but that really isn't what it is! We were just sharing a room for the night, that's all—AH!" Morgan was interrupted as a rather thick book hit him right in the face, causing Morgana to giggle. She knew that wouldn't hurt too much, so she had let that one hit its target.

"Really!? Because it looks like you got some random girl into your bedroom!" Severa exclaimed. "I swear, you leave for a week and come back like this!? Disgusting!" She turned around with a "humph" and stormed out. Owain gave a sly wink to Morgan, clearly believing the same as Severa, but reacting to it far differently.

"O-Owain, this really,  _really_  is not what it looks like." Morgan reiterated to his friend. "She's my mom's new apprentice; we were just in here together because there wasn't a room set up yet! You have to believe me!" He was practically begging at this point. Morgana, meanwhile, was perfectly content just watching everything unfold around her.

Owain gave an understanding nod. "Fear not my friend, for I believe your explanation. Severa, however, is another case. I'll try my best to explain things to her before she gets back to her room." Owain said, much to Morgan's relief. He walked out of the room before briefly popping his head back through the doorway. "Oh, but you owe me." He said with a grin, shutting the door behind him. Morgana looked over to Morgan and vice versa, sharing a brief moment of silence before Morgana burst into laughter, making Morgan huff.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. This is still your fault, you know. And it's basically guaranteed that this is gonna spread like wildfire with the others. Before you know it, people are gonna claim we're a couple. I get the feeling you won't be laughing then." Morgan said smugly. Morgana however seemed completely unfazed by the idea, only heightening Morgan's annoyance. "W-whatever! Goodnight!" Morgan shouted, laying back down in bed and facing away from Morgana.

"So can I still sleep in your—" Morgana began to ask, before being swiftly shut down by a loud no from Morgan. She sighed, laying back down on the floor and pulling a blanket over herself, grumbling about how selfish he was.

Morning came soon after, the rising sun shining through Morgan's bedroom window and hitting both of the room's residents right in the face, waking them up at the same time. "Gods, can't the sun just go away for five minutes?" Morgana asked grumpily, rubbing her closed eyes. Morgan was slowly waking up; even as he got out of bed he found that his eyes were still droopy. Their sleepiness was likely a result of the quite interesting occurrence that had taken place during the night. Morgana was the first one to get fully awake, stretching and yawning. "Well, I'll be seeing you. I dropped all my clothes off to get cleaned, so I gotta go grab those, talk to mom, and see what to do next. Bye bye!" Morgana walked out the door without a second thought, leaving Morgan alone. He still felt weird about hearing someone else call Robin their mom. Just another thing about that girl he'd have to get used to…

* * *

Morgana walked through the halls of the palace, cheerily humming a tune. Today was gonna be a great day, and she could already tell! She had finally reunited with her mother, she was gonna meet new people, and she was gonna start figuring out just how she would save her mother, and from what. Sure, it was a challenging road ahead, but she felt confident she could take it head-on! However, the only thing she took head-on was someone else's head as she slammed into someone else, the two of them falling to the ground. "Ouch ouch ouch…" Morgana mumbled, rubbing her head as she looked over at the other person. "Hey, watch where you're going!" She whined, ignoring that she was clearly the one at fault.

"My fault!?" The man responded, standing up and dusting himself off, fixing his silver hair. "Why, you've got some nerve to—" He stopped midway through his sentence, realizing that he was talking to a girl his age. "T-to speak so boldly! Boldness, of course, is an admirable trait! That means I've no choice but to admire you as a result." His attempt at a suave demeanor was breaking, but he was doing his best to pick up the pieces and salvage something out of this first encounter with this girl. "My name is Inigo." The man bowed gracefully. "It has been a true pleasure to meet you, Ms.…" Inigo paused, waiting for her answer.

"Morgan." She said, before remembering she's supposed to be using her new name. "I-it's short for Morgana! Most people call me that. Morgana, I mean." She quickly corrected, causing Inigo to raise an eyebrow, though only for a moment. Morgana chuckled nervously. "But thank you for admitting it's your fault. You sure are a clumsy guy, aren't you?" She asked, rubbing the back of her head as Inigo tried to hide his frustration towards her.

"Er, right. Anyways, I hope we can put that rather silly incident behind us; to pretend as if it was but a distant dream, lost on the winds of memory!" Inigo replied with an overabundance of flair, though Morgana just found it to be too hammy, giggling. "What's so amusing? Is something on my face?" Inigo asked, once again pierced with dismay like a lance through his chest.

Morgana kept giggling, looking at Inigo with a bright smile. "Wow, you are a massive dork." She stated, causing Inigo to nearly collapse from the dismay that filled his soul. "It's honestly super cute." Inigo got his hopes up yet again, only for him to realize that her use of the word "cute" was not in a positive manner.

"W-well I'm glad you at least enjoy my pain!" Inigo shouted overdramatically, before realizing Morgana was still in her nightgown. "Wait, why aren't you dressed for the day? Come to think of it, what brings you to the palace?" This girl seemed like quite the enigma, and Inigo was certainly a fan of mysterious women.

"Oh, my clothes! Thank you for reminding me, otherwise I fear I might've forgotten to pick them up." Morgana breathed a sigh of relief, glad she was reminded of why she was walking through the halls. "They were all dirty, so I had them washed overnight. I was headed to pick them up before you pushed me." Wait, that wasn't how the story went! She seemed to just be making it more and more one-sided every time she brought it up!" "And to answer your other question: I'm the royal tactician's new apprentice. So, expect to see more of me." Morgana explained as she walked by Inigo, stopping as she stood next to him, deciding to tease him one more time. "See ya later, dork." She quipped lightly, not wanting to come off as too rude, continuing her walking and humming, leaving Inigo confused and defeated, sighing in frustration.

* * *

Morgan rubbed his red cheek, hissing softly in pain. Severa had just apologized to him for how she had jumped to conclusions about him and Morgana, and of course, the first thing he had asked her was "How much did Owain have to pay you?" He almost immediately regretted every single action and thought process that led to him saying that. The slap she delivered was painful enough, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be the last physical injury Severa would dish out to him before the day was done.

As Morgan headed to the dining hall to grab some breakfast, he spotted Lucina and Cynthia chatting together, headed in the same direction that he was. He jogged up to them, a smile on his face. "Hey you two!" He called to them, walking up next to Cynthia as the two sisters looked over at him, smiling back.

"Hiya Morgan!" Cynthia greeted, walking with a spring in her step. Lucina held her hands together behind her back, her footsteps barely making a sound as opposed to Cynthia's, which created a minor echo with every step. "Didn't realize you'd be back so soon! I honestly expected that to last at least two weeks, with your mom being behind it and all!" Morgan sighed, thankful it didn't turn out that way. Though, if they hadn't encountered Morgana, he wouldn't be surprised if it did end up being a multi-week slog.

"Anything interesting happen while you were gone?" Lucina asked curiously. The sisters were quite the pair, with Lucina's calm, graceful demeanor combining with Cynthia's hotheaded, spritely, (and most importantly, clumsy) nature leading to the two being a rather perfect duo. They knew just how to make up for eachother's failings and faults. The elder Shepherds likened them to Robin and Frederick back in their heyday; a fighting force to be reckoned with. Though, when not on the battlefield, their personalities tended to clash a little more. Nowhere was this more evident than when Lucina flinched as Cynthia interjected, hurting both her and Morgan's ears.

"Ooh, ooh! I know something interesting Morgan did! Severa told me all about—" Morgan reacted in an instant, putting his foot in front of Cynthia's path. The results were instantaneous; Cynthia tripped and fell flat on her face before she could say anymore. She groaned into the floor as Lucina looked down in worry.

Morgan wasted no time, getting down on his knees and helping Cynthia up, her hair now messed up and a bruise on her cheek. "Whew, that's quite the nasty bruise Cynthia!" Morgan exclaimed nervously, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We should get you to a nearby cleric, just in case! You know what they say: Prevention is the best cure, or something like that! You can go on without us Lucina, we'll catch up!" Morgan spoke in rapid-fire mode, doing a one-eighty turn with Cynthia and leading her down the hall and around a corner, planning on explaining to her very well to not speak of what Severa had told her.

Lucina was left confused and rather disheartened. She hoped that Morgan didn't genuinely think he had just pulled a fast one on her. She wasn't stupid and could see that he was hiding something. He wasn't the only one recently to act so strangely either. Her mind flashed back to a couple nights prior…

_"Here." Chrom handed Lucina an envelope, not a crease on it, sealed with wax bearing the brand she and Chrom both bore. Lucina eyed it with concern, looking up at Chrom's rather serious face._

_"Father, what's this for?" She moved her hand to open it, only for Chrom to place his hand on hers, shaking his head. She grew confused even further as he stepped back. His study was dimly lit, with the only proper light source being a burning candle on his desk, having just been used to illuminate the letter he had written._

_"Not now, Lucina. Keep it safe, and do not open it. Not yet." Chrom instructed her. He didn't sound worried or scared, instead all his voice expressed to her was a genuine and sincere care for her. "I trust you to keep that letter sealed until you feel you're ready, and only then." Lucina was taken aback by this. Whatever was written in the envelope must have been gravely important, yet he trusted her to be able to judge when she should open it? Chrom sensed her doubts. "I trust you, Lucina. Consider this the greatest lesson I can teach you. Inside this envelope is a truth you will appreciate and despise in equal measure. Only when you feel you are ready to accept the consequences of knowing it, should you open this envelope. Do you understand?"_

_Lucina paused for a moment. What was to stop her from simply opening it up now? She could find out this truth within a minute if she truly wanted. No, there was something stopping her. It was her understanding that she was not ready, and that opening it now would only prove that. Perhaps it wasn't supposed to be opened at all and would sit as a way for Chrom to test her resolve for years to come. She supposed she would find out, all in due time. She looked into her father's eyes, her own two eyes, one bearing the brand of the Exalt, looking right back. She nodded. "I understand."_

Lucina opened her eyes, realizing she had zoned out for a minute or two. That envelope was still sitting in her personal lockbox, protected and hidden until the day she would need to open it. She looked up from the ground and saw…Morgan? Wait, that wasn't—

"You must be Lucina!" Morgana declared brightly, giving Lucina a beaming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you! My name's Morgana. I'm Robin's apprentice!" Lucina couldn't even keep up with the girl as she grabbed Lucina's hand and led her through the halls. "You just have to tell me everything about yourself, I'm dying to know what the life of a princess is like!" This girl clearly wasn't the most considerate person out there. As she kept pulling Lucina along, the princess had the feeling she wasn't going to have the time to enjoy her breakfast. She groaned, being ignored by Morgana. Though, something else began to occupy her thoughts.

_Is it just me, or does she look strikingly similar to Morgan?_


	5. I Can't Lie to You

"Disgusting," Severa muttered with a grimace, staring daggers at the new girl in the dining hall, chowing down into her soup like it was her last meal. Most of the people eating only gave the occasional glance over to Morgana, but Severa just stared, absolutely furious. She hadn't even known this girl for a full day and she had already grown to despise her, completely and utterly. Most of her friends found it a bit hard to eat their own soup, being so close to Morgana and hearing her loud slurping and smacking as a result. Potatoes and lentils stuck to Morgana's face, slick with broth. Though, the person suffering the most was Morgan, who was sitting right next to her, looking like he was gonna throw up right into his own bowl. He hadn't even picked up his spoon yet and was debating in his head if he could last until dinner without needing to eat anything since he had already ended up missing breakfast.

Kjelle sat next to Severa, equally enraptured in Morgana's disgusting, shameless behavior. It spoke volumes that despite being rather shameless at times herself, even she was clearly grossed out. "It's like a magical portal destabilized, destroying anything and everything around it." She commented, almost fascinated by it.

"Yup, she's a pretty crazy eater. Reminds me of your mother when she was younger." The kids at the table nearly jumped out of their seats as Kellam made his presence known, wearing his bulky armor as always.

"Jeez, dad! Every time you're around you always burst into our conversations!" Kjelle shouted, annoyed by her clearly confused father. "Can you just not do that for even a week?"

"Huh?" Kellam looked at his daughter in confusion. "I've been standing here since you sat down. This isn't even the first time I've spoken to you during this meal." He pointed out, though nobody seemed to care. Or perhaps they had just already forgotten his presence. Kellam sighed dejectedly, walking out of the dining hall with his head hanging low. As the kids looked back to Morgana, they saw she had finished her meal, now chatting with Morgan. Unfortunately for their curiosity, they couldn't make out what either of them was saying, though it seemed she was teasing him, judging by his embarrassed reaction followed by her laughter.

"Gods, who does she think she is!?" Severa crossed her arms, a bit too angry, even for her usual self. The others had taken notice of this; however, they had decided not to point that out in order to avoid facing her still-building wrath. "First, she made me spread around a false rumor about her and Morgan like an idiot, then she wouldn't stop pestering Lucina till I had to drag the two away from eachother, and now, just…UGH!" Lucina thought to point out that Morgana's incessant questions weren't the absolute worst thing to happen to her but decided against it. "What's her deal with Morgan anyways!?"

"My father explained the situation to me," Lucina spoke up for the first time since they had all sat down to eat. "Apparently, she really is Robin's new apprentice, no joke. When she and Morgan were out on their latest training mission, they came across her, and something about her made Robin take her in. Father was rather vague about it, but apparently, she didn't have anywhere else to go, so she wasn't too hesitant at the prospect training to become a Shepherd." There was a moment of quiet at the table as the kids pondered the information. "Guys, we really should cut her some slack. We still don't know too much about her, and who knows? Maybe she's a lot nicer once you get to know her." Lucina suggested, with most of the group hesitantly agreeing. Most of them, aside from Severa.

"Well, I'm certainly not gonna waste my time finding out." Severa stubbornly responded, her arms still crossed. "Did none of you notice her cloak? You know, the ones Plegian dark mages like wearing? The ones that back in the day, people tended to find worn by—"

"That's enough, Severa." Gerome interrupted, his stern eyes enough to even intimidate Severa. "If you start throwing around accusations like that, you're going to have issues with more than just her." The silence that followed was considerably longer than the one prior. Severa finally broke the silence, looking down at her lap.

"Sorry." She muttered, genuinely embarrassed by what she had said. "Sorry, that was…uncalled for. My bad, guys." She sighed, frustrated that she let herself act like that, looking up and over to Morgana, only to find that she and Morgan were both gone. "W-what!?" Severa looked around, unable to spot either of them in the dining hall. "Where did they go?"

* * *

Morgan leaned against the wall, concerned as he looked down. "So, what you're saying about my nightmares are that…" He looked over at Morgana, who was standing uncharacteristically still, looking right back at him with a serious look on her face.

"That they're pretty darn similar to mine, yeah." Morgana finished his sentence. He had casually brought it up during lunch, much to her surprise. She only became more worried when he went into detail about what he remembered from his two nightmares, finding they matched some of the vague shadows of memories she still had. Of course, neither of them could remember much. Mainly, just the emotions they felt. The panic, the terror, the exhaustion, all of it. "My current hypothesis is that perhaps they're some sort of amalgamated premonitions. Since we're technically the same person from two different worlds, it could be possible that you're remembering what I am but projecting yourself into it in my place."

"As crazy as that sounds, I can't think of anything that would sound saner," Morgan responded, running his hand through his hair. This whole thing was just getting crazier by the day. "And you only remembered that forest yesterday, right?" Morgana nodded. "So, I may be remembering them around the same time as well. That's honestly kinda creepy."

"Well, look on the bright side; now I can't lie to you." Morgana chuckled, though Morgan could tell that the laughter was forced. She realized Morgan wasn't chuckling along, and quickly stopped, looking down at the floor. Neither of them really knew what to say after figuring out what had been going on. Luckily, neither of them had to break the rather awkward silence as they saw none other than Exalt Chrom himself walking down the hall with Robin close behind him. Robin whispered something to Chrom, followed by him giving her a nod and walking past the two. Robin approached them, smiling softly.

"Hey, you two," Robin spoke, her usual warm smile present, albeit a bit strained. "I hope your first day here hasn't been too stressful." She said, looking at Morgana. The dark-haired girl shook her head, letting her mother know it had been fine. "That's good." Robin looked tired, and both of them could tell. "Sorry, I can't chat for long. The Exalt wants to discuss something with me. I just wanted to make sure that you both were doing alright." After they both reaffirmed that they were okay, Robin smiled once more before turning and jogging to catch up to Chrom. The two quickly rounded a corner, leaving both Morgans somewhat worried. They knew Robin was hiding something unpleasant from them; what they were unsure about was what it was, or if they should investigate. They eventually decided against it, however, wanting to respect their Mother's privacy. Besides, it seemed that Severa and the others had finally found them, corralling them to the training grounds.

* * *

Robin casually browsed the selection of books in Chrom's study. A ten-book series on the history of Ylisse, a collection of battle strategies, a few romance novels that were likely misplaced by Sumia…Robin had read most of them herself, aside from those romance novels, though that never stopped her from looking through them whenever she was in the room. Chrom sat at his desk, his face in his hands as he groaned, lifting his head up to look at Robin.

"I knew there was something suspicious about that girl," Chrom spoke, Robin turning around to face him, trying to hide her guilt. "I knew, from the moment that I saw her, that you were hiding something about her from me. I just…" Chrom sighed yet again. "I didn't expect it to be this. I didn't expect her to be…" Chrom couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Morgan?" Robin assumed that to be what he was on the verge of saying; an assumption confirmed by his nodding. "Join the club, Chrom. How do you think I felt when she ran up to me, hugged me and called me 'mom'? I know how shocked you are."

"Then why try to hide it from me?" Chrom asked, bewildered. "I thought you trusted me more than that. I know that  _I_  trusted you more than that." That hit Robin rather unpleasantly, a pang of guilt running through her.

"Frankly Chrom, I didn't trust anybody with that information. Not just because it sounded positively ridiculous." Robin spoke, before mocking herself. "Just imagine it. 'Hello Chrom, guess who I found while in a small village? Why yes, this  _is_  my daughter from an alternate dimension who claims I'm in mortal danger! How did you guess?' I'd be locked up in an asylum." She was being hyperbolic of course, but Chrom understood her point, even if he didn't agree with it. "Besides, the poor girl had lost most of her memory when I had found her. I knew people would become suspicious of that in particular."

"I don't even think I need to point out the similarities there, frankly," Chrom stated bluntly, his mind recalling when he had first found Robin, passed out in a field, all those years ago. "But fine, I'll accept those reasons for the time being. There's just one thing I need you to tell me." Chrom paused, taking a moment to gather the courage required to ask. "Does…does she have it? Does she have the brand?" Robin was silent for what felt like hours, thanks to the agonizing pace of time.

"…No," Robin answered quietly, much to Chrom's relief. "No, she doesn't have the brand of the Exalt. Did you expect her versions of you and I to have been just as foolish? I never pegged you for a pessimist." Robin remarked dryly, much to Chrom's frustration.

"Robin, I know that you still haven't gotten over…everything, surrounding that night. But it's been years. Morgan's grown up. Whether you like it or not, one day he'll inevitably discover the truth, and when he does, I'd rather we not you be so cold about it." Chrom tried to reason. Even then, thinking about it filled him with remorse. "I get it, we made so many stupid mistakes. I just think it's time to—"

Robin cut him off, her temper reaching a boiling point. "Do you seriously think I'll  _ever_  forgive you? That I'll be able to even forgive myself!? What we did to Morgan, just to hide that brand…" Robin slumped down into a nearby chair, holding back tears. "Just the thought of it makes me sick." Chrom got up and slowly walked to Robin, reaching a hand out to try and comfort her, only for her to slap it away, her face red as tears streamed down her eyes. "I refuse to forgive either of us for what we did!" She screamed, looking up at Chrom. "We…we burnt his back, just to hide that damned brand! I hate you, so much, for coming up with that disgusting, abhorrent idea!" She shouted viciously at Chrom, before slumping back down in her chair, putting her face in her hands as she sobbed. "I hate myself for agreeing to it…we're both disgusting, and neither of us deserve any kind of forgiveness for that." Chrom stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then, against his better judgement, he knelt down, moving closely and wrapping his arms around Robin. She didn't push him away, instead continuing to sob as he tried to comfort her.

* * *

Morgan rubbed his back instinctively as he watched the fight go on. He couldn't believe that within a day of arriving at the Ylissean palace, Morgana had already challenged Kjelle of all people to a duel. Much to his, and Morgana's dismay, she was losing, badly. Kjelle had Morgana on the ropes, having figured out her tendencies on where to dodge and weave, and had begun to preemptively thrust her spear where she knew Morgana would dodge to, leaving the girl barely any space to recover. Morgan flinched as Kjelle rammed her in the stomach with the blunt end of her spear, knocking the breath out of her. The knight in training wasted no time, following up with an elbow to the chest, knocking Morgana onto her back. Kjelle stood over her, looking down at the poor girl. "Do you yield?" She asked calmly.

Morgana took a few deep, heavy breaths before speaking. "I dunno, I just was never one for giving up. Maybe I'm just stubborn. Though, that did mean I developed quite a few aces to put up my sleeve!" Silence. Kjelle had braced herself for some kind of surprise attack, but none came. Morgana just laid there for almost half a minute. Nobody was able to figure out if it was a joke or not. Finally, Morgana chuckled nervously, before a blast of fire hit Kjelle dead-on, sending her flying back. Morgana hurried up to her feet, holding a quickly burning piece of paper in her hand. Morgan, as well as a few others watching, recognized it instantly as a page from an Elfire tome. Morgana grinned cockily, clearly proud of herself. "Sorry for the wait. The 'ace up my sleeve' idiom was actually literal there, so I had to fish said ace out without you noticing." So, she hid the page in her sleeve? Morgan had to admit, that was a clever tactic. Though the long wait clearly wasn't an intended part of the trick, it ended up helping, as it allowed Kjelle to lower her guard over time. Speaking of, the knight was getting up from the ground, using her spear as a support to allow her to more quickly get back to her feet. "Aw come on Kjelle!" Morgana taunted, clearly quite full of herself by this point. Kjelle said nothing, instead charging at Morgana.

Five minutes later, the battle had ended, and Morgana laid on her stomach, groaning into the ground. Her body ached all over. Noire, thankfully not in one of her crazy moods, was doing her best to comfort the girl, patting her on the back of the head. "There, there. Not every duel can be won. You did your best." Kjelle, meanwhile, was getting bombarded with praise from an overexcited Cynthia. Morgan watched Morgana pound her fit on the ground repeatedly out of frustration and found himself laughing in response.  _That's my sister for you._  Morgan stopped, realizing that he had just thought of her as his sister. It came to mind so easily, without any kind of deliberation behind it. Was he already so keen to think of her that way? He smiled. Maybe a sister wasn't the worst thing in the world to have.


	6. Gods, I Know

_"Hey, you okay?" Morgan looked up at Lucina, who had reached a hand down to the girl. Dazed but still ready to get back up, she took her hand, Lucina helping her get back on her feet. "Glad to see you're still in fighting shape. We need to rendezvous with the others, c'mon." The princess ran down the stone hallway, leaving Morgan still recovering. She looked to her side, seeing a massive hole in the wall; a result of the blast that had knocked her off her feet. She shook her head to help get herself to focus, chasing after Lucina before the girl could go too far. Lucina was acting so calm, yet Morgan felt her heart pounding in her chest like it was about to launch right out. She could hear its voice again, plaguing her thoughts. It was goading her, telling her of everything it would do to her friends. She felt herself growing sick, a feeling that had grown common whenever it spoke to her. That feeling of disgust and terror, balled up in her stomach. She was so lost in thought, distracted by the voice in her head, that she accidentally bumped into the now stationary Lucina._

_"…Huh…?" Morgan looked up in a disorientated confusion, realizing the girl had drawn her blade. That's when she saw the Risen in front of them slowly approaching. There must've been a half-dozen of them shambling towards them. No issue for the two of them to handle, that is, until Morgan heard the shuffling of feet behind her. Turning around, she saw just as many, if not more Risen coming from behind, she backed up, her back pressing against Lucina's, causing her to wince in pain. Her scar was still fresh. Despite this, she didn't take a step forward, finding comfort in the contact. She drew her own blade, having already expended all her spells. She knew that her and Lucina's only option would have to be fighting their way out. She just hoped they'd be able to pull it off._

* * *

Morgan awoke peacefully, remembering his dream much more vividly than the last two. Not only that, but he didn't dream of himself in Morgana's place; instead it was like he was viewing the situation from her own eyes. Something he didn't expect was the way she looked at Lucina. An intense admiration, an undying friendship…something more? Morgan didn't feel nearly as strongly towards Lucina himself, simply viewing the princess as a close friend. Though, he had similar feelings towards someone else. Morgan gasped out loud, thankful he was alone in his room, as he realized just what those feelings that Morgana held were. Suddenly, Morgana's constant pestering of Lucina the morning prior made all too much sense. He couldn't help but blush at the thought. He decided he wouldn't mention remembering that to Morgana, knowing that would save her from a potentially massive amount of embarrassment.

Morgan found himself rubbing his own back, the memory of Morgana's painful scar reminding him all too much of his own. Located on his shoulder blade, the moderately sized burn left his skin a bright, fleshy red. His mother had told him that when he was just a toddler, one of the few remaining Grimleal managed to break into the Ylissean palace and attempted to kidnap him, leading to a fight between the cultist and Morgan's mother, leading to the accidental burn. Just another reason for him to despise and fear the cult in equal measure.

Morgan noticed the sunrise shining through his window, glad that the premonition didn't result in a rude and early awakening like it had the prior two times. In fact, it seemed to be perfect timing, as Morgan heard a knock on his bedroom door. "One second!" He called out, quickly changing out of his night clothes and into his usual cloak. He hurried to his door, opening it to find Severa, Lucina, and Morgana, all standing in the hall. Severa looked highly impatient, acting as if she had waited for hours. Though, with Morgana still asking Lucina all sorts of questions about herself, Morgan couldn't blame her. He'd probably go a little crazy as well.

"Finally! Ugh, took you long enough." Severa chided, rolling her eyes as Morgan let out a yawn. "We're headed to town to help prepare for the royal ball. We're supposed to be grabbing some perishable foods to give to the chefs. You'd better not be too tired to help with carrying supplies." Morgan had completely forgotten about the ball. Every year it took place on the same date as the former Exalt Emmeryn's passing, to celebrate the peace she had spent her life striving towards. A lavish banquet was held, along with festivities across the entire castle town, and of course, the titular ball held in the palace. Everybody in the palace, regardless of station, was tasked with helping the preparations; a decision made by Exalt Chrom himself. Morgan was a bit surprised that Morgana had already been registered and put on the ledger to be given a task until he remembered that Cordelia, the captain of the Pegasus Knights, was the one in charge of assigning tasks. There was no way the woman wouldn't have already put Morgana down on the list.

"Don't worry, I'll do my part," Morgan assured the redhead, walking out of his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. He spoke quietly so Morgana, still talking to Lucina, wouldn't hear. "Though, I'd watch out for Morgana. She's a bit lazy, from what I've seen." Severa quickly nodded with a grin, happy to have an excuse to chew the girl out if she caught her shirking from her duties. The four soon set out to the castle town with a freakishly long list of foods to gather, and a hefty sum of money to use to accomplish the task. Once they arrived at the town, they quickly agreed that it would be for the best if they split up, allowing them to cover more ground. Before anyone could argue, Morgana grabbed half the money and quite literally tore the list in half, taking one half for herself and practically dragging Lucina away with her, promising to grab everything on the half of the list she had. Severa, of course, was left fuming, despite Morgan's best efforts to calm her down.

* * *

"Erm…Morgana?" Lucina spoke timidly, following behind the excited girl as she seemed to be paying no mind to the list they were supposed to be following. "You do know where to go, right?" Morgana looked behind herself and at Lucina, confused by the question. "It's just you haven't ever been to the castle town, and we've got quite the long list to go down. I'm pretty familiar with the area myself, so I bet we could get things done fast if we followed my lead."

"Oh, right!" Morgana replied, chuckling as she handed the list to Lucina, holding onto the money. "What was I even thinking? My bad!" Her chuckling grew more nervous as Lucina raised an eyebrow before looking down at the list of supplies, her eyes darting back and forth over the paper, going from top to bottom before rolling it up and stuffing it in her pocket.

"It looks like it would be best if we first hit the market, to buy the more common foods," Lucina commented, the gears in her head working to mentally map the best route the two could take. "Though, some of these foods are just bizarre choices. I don't think we've ever needed pre-diced potatoes. Usually the chefs just dice them while cooking." Morgana nodded along as Lucina continued to formulate a plan. "When we get that knocked off the list, we can stop to eat some lunch. Knowing Cordelia, she likely prepared some excess funds for the express purpose." Morgana nodded once more, following behind Lucina.

As the girls began their shopping, Morgana pondered how strange this was. She had only become aware of her forgotten feelings towards the princess the other day, yet they had brought a pining that she never knew she could feel. Still, she couldn't rush anything. As far as she knew, she may never have gotten anywhere with Lucina in her own world. Not to mention, this Lucina was different. Then again, so was Robin, but she still regarded her as her mother anyways. Perhaps she was just too soft for her own good.

As Morgana and Lucina passed through a more clothing-centric part of the town, the former's eyes were caught by a hairpin composed of a fake pink and white flower and a blue base. She couldn't help but stop Lucina so she could look at it as well, the two of them letting out all sorts of "ooh"s and "ahh"s. That's when Morgana had a rather stupid idea pop into her head, and before Lucina could stop her, she bought the hairpin with some of the money they had been given, much to the princess's surprise and relative horror.

"Morgana, what are you thinking!?" Lucina shouted in a nervous panic as Morgana took the hairpin and inspected it in her hand before turning to face Lucina. "Y-you can't just buy that with the—" Lucina stopped talking as Morgana swiftly put the hairpin in the girl's hair, just above her left ear. Morgana gave a satisfied smile.

"I had a feeling that would look pretty on you!" Morgana exclaimed with a bright smile, catching Lucina off guard. Morgana noticed the girl's stunned look. "What?" A grin formed on her face as she jokingly elbowed the girl, laughing. "C'mon, there's no way they didn't give us a surplus of funds to be safe. We'll be fine! We'll just say prices were high, or something." Despite her nervousness, Lucina found herself beginning to laugh along, Morgana's easygoing attitude towards the situation proving to be rather infectious.

"Okay, alright," Lucina said, giving in. "It is a beautiful hairpin, I must admit," Lucina confessed, her voice a little quieter. "I didn't realize you had such good taste in accessories." Morgana was a little embarrassed by that, but she didn't let it show, knowing that it was by no means Lucina's intent when she said it. "Well, we'd best get back to shopping. We don't have too many more supplies to check off our list." Lucina spoke, changing the subject back to the task at hand. Morgana nodded once more, following behind Lucina as they continued their shopping.

* * *

"She's such an airhead!" Severa exclaimed furiously. She and Morgan had gotten around three-quarters of the way through their shopping and the whole time, Severa had been lamenting just about everything about Morgana, despite Morgan's numerous attempts to calm her down. "What's her deal with Lucina anyways!?" She asked, unaware of Morgan desperately trying not to show any sign that he knew what was going on with her. He was good at fooling others when it came to strategy and such, but when something like romance was involved, he was a terrible liar. He decided to shift the subject and hopefully finally be able to calm Severa down in the process.

"Hey, Severa, listen…" Morgan spoke hesitantly, diverting Severa's attention away from her rant. "I get you're not a big fan of Morgana, but you're being really hard on her." Severa was ready to try and defend herself, but Morgan continued before she could get the chance. "I know you're suspicious of her and all, and I completely understand that. She's definitely a shifty character. However, there's suspicion and then there's a witch hunt. You're my friend, and she is too. I don't want to see you two be bitter towards eachother out of a sheer stubbornness to be right about the other one." Severa was silent. Damn him for being so right about these kinds of things. Still, it was why they were such close friends, arguably closer than they were with the others. Morgan knew just how and when to give Severa better perspective.

"I…" Severa stopped walking, leaning against a stone wall. "I know. Gods, I know. I've already said so much about her that I probably shouldn't have." Severa had always found she was able to admit her own faults more easily to Morgan as well. She knew she could trust him not to mock or insult her for her mistakes. "I need to get over her, and myself. The worst part is I've already said I was gonna do that before, and I never did." Morgan saw that she was beginning to beat herself up about it and intervened.

"Hey, c'mon, no need to talk about yourself like that," Morgan said comfortingly, standing next to Severa and leaning on the same wall. "Everybody's got that one person they just can't stand, even though it's for no good reason. Not everyone can admit that about themselves. That shows you're more than capable of improving." Severa looked up at Morgan with a sullen face, only to see his warm smile. She looked away in order to hide a smile of her own that was slowly creeping onto her face. Morgan took notice, however, and laughed, causing Severa to blush furiously.

"S-stop that!" Severa shouted, elbowing Morgan hard. As much as it hurt, Morgan still laughed, much to her anger. "I don't even get what's so funny about that! Ugh, you drive me nuts sometimes!" Morgan's laughter began to slow until he stopped, still smiling brightly.

"Sorry, sorry." Morgan apologized, chuckling a bit before reigning it in. "It's just that you looked really great like that. You should smile like that more often." He looked at Severa, expecting her to get angry, only for her to blush softly, looking down at the ground. Morgan blushed as well, also looking away, only to spot two familiar faces running towards them at a breakneck speed. "Hey, isn't that—" Morgan began to speak before Morgana suddenly cheered triumphantly, Lucina looking more like she was ready to die of anxiety.

"We are  _never_  doing that again!" Lucina exclaimed, her voice irate and exhausted. Morgana merely caught her breath, holding up a loaf of bread as if it were a trophy marking her achievements. Morgan didn't even have to ask what had happened as Morgana spoke.

"Oh, come on, that guy didn't even catch me nabbing that bread until the last second! Even then, he never was gonna catch up to us!" Morgana tried to reassure Lucina to no effect as Morgan and Severa looked at them in utter shock.

Lucina noticed the looks she was getting from her friends and quickly explained. "Morgana blew some of our budget on something not on the list and because of that we didn't have enough to buy the last thing we needed, so she, well…" She glanced at Morgana who was practically cradling her loaf of bread, regarding it as a symbol of triumph. Morgan looked over at Severa, honestly expecting her to chew the girl out, but instead, she just laughed. She laughed pretty damn hard, in fact.

"Gods, you're such an airhead," Severa said to Morgana, though there was something far different about the way she said it. There wasn't any malice behind it. She had said it the same way any kind of friend would make fun of another friend. Even Morgana was caught off guard by how casual it was. Then before she knew it, she was laughing along.

"Yeah, I really messed up back there. I can't believe my first instinct was to steal a single loaf of bread!" Morgana admitted self-deprecatingly, causing even Lucina to crack up. Before long, the entire group was laughing and joking about Morgana's decision. After the laughter had died down, they agreed to finish the rest of their list together and set off to find the last few things they needed.


	7. I'll Admit it For Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for not getting this out yesterday, that was 100% my bad.

_Morgan waited nervously at the gates of the Ylissean palace along with a few guards and some of Lucina's other friends, her hands in the pockets of her cloak as her foot tapped up and down. Lucina had gone to Mount Prism to perform the Awakening rite a week prior, and despite Morgan's advising, she did it alone. She had insisted that it was a task she needed to undertake by herself in order to prove her worth. Whether it was to Naga or herself, she didn't say, and Morgan didn't ask. However, the day prior, a scout had arrived in advance with a message from the princess, stating she had succeeded in her journey and would be back soon. It had been a tough week for the girl, having to endure the distrustful gazes and hushed scorn that came from the others without the usual defense and comfort against them that Lucina provided. It was understandable that they didn't trust Morgan, despite everything she had done to help the fight against the Fell Dragon. After all, nothing changed her ancestry. Nothing changed who her mother was. She could only imagine how quickly many of the denizens of the palace would violently turn on her if she were to reveal that the Fell Dragon was able to communicate with her. Lucina was the only one she trusted with that information. She was the only one Morgan trusted with a lot of her thoughts._

_Nah was the first to spot the figure, obscured by thick clouds of dust in the distance approaching the palace. The guards raised their weapons readily until the figure came closer, being recognized as the princess. Despite knowing it wouldn't look good to act emotional, Morgan couldn't help herself, running past the surprised guards and towards Lucina. As she got closer, her smile faded slightly as she noticed a fresh scar running across Lucina's cheek, stopping just above her lip. Morgan's worried face spoke volumes to the princess, who smiled in an attempt to comfort her. "I got jumped by some thieves on the way back." Lucina chuckled at the irony. "My journey almost ended because of a couple of thugs. Wouldn't that have been something?" Lucina was different, Morgan could see that. The journey had taken its toll, not just with that scar, but with the presence she exuded. Her posture was slightly worse, and her face seemed more tired. Nothing a good night's rest couldn't fix, Morgan thought._

_The two headed into the palace, followed by Lucina's other friends, all curious about how the journey had gone. To the relief of everyone, Lucina declared that the rite had been a success. Falchion's true power had been unlocked and could force Grima back into slumber. Still, the true battle had yet to take place; all that had been accomplished was the acquisition of the means to win. Despite some of her friends' efforts to change her view to a more optimistic one, Lucina was painfully aware of this fact. She refused to speak of what the divine dragon Naga had told her, much to the disappointment of many. Morgan just silently walked along, knowing any questions she had would be asked by the others. At least, any questions she was willing to ask in public._

_Finally, the group arrived at the entrance to Lucina's room, mostly dispersing. However, there was one person that Lucina would allow into her room anytime. Morgan hated the attention it brought. She had begged Lucina to try to make their friendship less apparent, arguing it reflected poorly on Lucina's judgement. Few people trusted Morgan, and the only reason she had remained in the army was Lucina's protection, and the fear that she would defect to the Grimleal. Lucina, however, made sure it was known that Morgan was still her friend. It only made Morgan feel worse, knowing that now the ire of many was on the both of them, but she refrained from sharing that with Lucina, not wanting to upset her._

_Morgan followed behind Lucina, the two of them sitting down at the base of her large bed. Morgan was still nervous to speak about Lucina's journey; something Lucina noticed. The princess just smiled reassuringly. "Did Grima let any information slip in one of its 'I'm going to kill you' rants?" Lucina asked half-jokingly, clearly in an attempt to ease her friend's mind._

_Morgan shook her head, looking down at the carpeted floor. "No. I think it started to realize we were using its information against us. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't tried to feed me false info yet. I'm…" Morgan took a shaky breath. "I'm just glad it can't see what's going on over on my end. It only hears what I want it to hear, after all. It means I'm at least a little useful." Morgan said dismissively, much to Lucina's frustration._

_"You, Morgan, are one of the most useful parts of this army, no matter how much certain people would beg to differ." Lucina stated factually, taking Morgan's hand. "Your plans have saved dozens of people countless times. If none of them can admit that, I'll admit it for them." Morgan looked at Lucina, trying to prevent any tears from showing. She didn't want to look weak in front of her. "Not to mention that if we pull this off, if we defeat the Fell Dragon, we'll be legends. The both of us." The two sat in silence, Morgan feeling somewhat better after Lucina's assurances and kind words._

_Morgan took a deep breath. There was no more time to delay. She had to tell Lucina now, or it was all too likely that she wouldn't get another chance. "Lucina, there's…" Another deep breath. Each word was harder to get out than the last. Lucina noticed her hesitation, curious. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long while. I've been so nervous to say it, but this may be my last chance. So, here goes." One last deep breath, and an interruption._

_"Morgan." Lucina spoke softly, surprising the girl. "I have a pretty good feeling that I know what you're about to tell me. If I'm right, then…" She shifted closer to Morgan, still holding her hand as she looked her dead in the eyes. "I want to hear it after this is over. When things are happier. I don't want it to be wasted on such a poor occasion." That left Morgan surprised, not sure how to respond to something like that. "Sorry. That was a pretty selfish request, I know."_

_"It wasn't a bad one, though." Morgan said in response, gripping Lucina's hand tighter. "I…I think I can wait. I think you're right about it being better if I save it for a better time. Hopefully a day when we don't have to worry about the Fell Dragon any longer."_

* * *

Morgan couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it must have been for Morgana, living like that. He was never one to enjoy drawing negative attention, and he had a feeling Morgana was the same way. Yet she was able to find hope in the one person who truly cared about her. The new bonds she had already begun to form with the others in the palace must've felt liberating for her. He sat up in his bed, gazing outside at the gibbous moon. He took a deep breath, holding it as he closed his eyes, enjoying the silence of the moment. He felt ever closer to Morgana, like they really had been siblings his entire life, rather than having only known eachother for less than a month. Perhaps he was just thinking impulsively, but he felt a genuine want to help keep her safe. Her words about Robin being in danger flashed back into his mind. It couldn't be the Fell Dragon that was threatening her, it had already failed. Yet, what else could it be? Morgan felt like he was trying to solve a riddle where he only knew the first line. There was more to this puzzle, but he just hadn't been given all the pieces. He needed more information, and he needed it before it was too late.

Later in the day, Morgan was alerted to the latest trouble Morgana had gotten herself into. Apparently, she had gotten into another fight with Kjelle, only this time, it had ended with a straight tie. Neither of them could seem to get any advantage over the other. So, they devised a new plan, one that Morgan groaned upon hearing. Each person would find a second to bring into battle in the training grounds, which apparently Nah and her mother Nowi were working to temporarily turn into a small-scale battlefield, complete with environmental hazards, mock buildings, the works. Morgan already had a headache just imagining the logistics of getting that to work, but the pain only further increased when he was informed by Owain that Morgana had picked Morgan as her second. He knew he couldn't turn her down, mainly out of obligation due to their closeness. He headed to the training ground immediately, finding that miraculously, the manaketes had pulled it off. The mock battleground had been created, and Morgan was impressed by the detail of it. Boxes of fireworks were strategically placed, along with weapons hidden in nooks and crannies for a keen-eyed fighter to find. Morgana was already there, waving to Morgan, however he was more interested in the team they'd be facing. Kjelle and Cynthia were chatting with eachother, formulating a battle plan he unfortunately was unable to listen in on. He was just glad when Morgana told him that Cynthia wouldn't be allowed to use her Pegasus for the battle.

The rules were fairly simple, thankfully. Only armor would be chosen before entering, and any weapons would have to be acquired during the battle. Either surrender or being unable to continue fighting would lead to a loss, and the fight would not be over until both members of one team were in said state. Morgan held in a laugh as he noticed a group of highly nervous clerics on standby, until he remembered that he may end up being in a situation where they would become necessary. Morgan and Morgana stood on one side of the battlefield whilst Kjelle and Cynthia headed to the other. It took up almost the entire training grounds, making up what must've been a city block. Morgan glanced over to Nah and Nowi, the former silently watching and the latter overdramatically groaning in exhaustion, clearly trying to gain sympathy from her daughter, which she was getting none of.

As soon as the fight had begun, Morgan and Morgana rushed into the battlefield, both heading towards a small wooden shed without having to ask eachother. Morgan found two Elfire tomes and a bronze sword, tossing a tome to Morgana and keeping the sword to himself. He had seen her duel Kjelle and knew that she was not exactly an expert with conventional swords. She didn't seem to mind, peeking her head out of the shed, turning back to Morgan. "I can't see any of 'em. Odds are they're in a building." She relayed to Morgan who nodded, following her as she exited the shack.

"If they're in a building, then we can use Elfire to our advantage." Morgan spoke, formulating a plan. "We could cut off their escape routes or even—"

"Or even burn the building down!" Morgana exclaimed, having been on the same train of thought. "Great idea. Kjelle's got that bulky armor and Cynthia is, well, Cynthia, so it shouldn't be difficult to locate them." Morgana paused for a moment before her eyes lit up. "I've got an idea." Without a second thought, she opened her tome, summoning a fireball that flew right at a box of fireworks. The resulting sound was deafening, and a blaze quickly spreading amongst the buildings nearby. Morgan could only imagine how Nowi must've reacted to seeing her hard work burn down. The fire was quickly spreading to other buildings, at a more rapid pace than either of them had anticipated. "That should force them out of wherever they're hiding." Morgan said satisfactorily, and sure enough, they spotted Cynthia ducking between two buildings despite her clear efforts to remain out of sight. They dashed after her, Morgan readying his sword.

They turned down the alley that Cynthia had ducked into only to be attacked almost immediately, her spear hurling towards them. Morgan reflexively held out his tome, the tip of Cynthia's spear tearing right through it and rendering it useless. However, Morgan wasn't done with it yet, pulling it, and by extension the spear, throwing Cynthia off her balance. Morgana followed up with a kick to the side, mostly absorbed by Cynthia's armor but upsetting her balance even further, causing her to fall onto her back. Just as Morgan was ready to knock her out, he was shoved to the ground himself, having not noticed Kjelle coming up behind them. Morgana reacted quickly, jumping back and away from Kjelle's sweeping spear attack. Morgan tossed her his sword which she graciously accepted, being pushed farther and farther out of the alley by Kjelle's onslaught of attacks, leaving Morgan and Cynthia wrestling for her spear which had been knocked to the side.

Morgana was growing more nervous as Kjelle kept on the offensive, doing her best to give her opponent as little time to recover as possible. It was the exact same tactic she had used in their prior two fights, and Morgana couldn't blame her. It was effective as hell, as much as she hated it for that. Even in the few times Morgana found an opening for an attack of her own, her blows were deflected by Kjelle's spear due to the sloppiness and slowness of her own sword strikes. She was losing and was bound to get hit eventually if she didn't figure something out. That's when a rather stupid plan came into mind, and before she could begin to doubt herself, she threw her sword at Kjelle, catching the knight off guard. She knew she wouldn't gain enough ground before Kjelle recovered to cast a spell, so she ran, soon throwing her tome at her as well. She ducked into one of the burning buildings, searching for any kind of weapon that she could use. All she found, much to her disappointment, was a steel axe. "Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose!" She exclaimed, picking it up with both hands, giving it a few practice swings to try and get used to its weight. She had never received any formal training with an axe as far as she knew, so this was going to be an all-or-nothing moment.

"C'mon, just lemme win!" Cynthia whined as she tried to get on top of Morgan, much to his annoyance. Despite having been fighting for the last couple minutes, neither of them had managed to get onto their feet due to the other having always managed to pull them back down. It was pure hand to hand combat at this point, a field that neither of them had much experience in. Morgan was sure that if anybody had been watching, they would've been giggling so hard that they would end up buckling over. Still, to him and Cynthia, this was a desperate final confrontation. Finally, Morgan had one last ditch idea. He sprung up to his feet, with Cynthia grabbing at his cloak just as he had expected. He smoothly slipped out of his cloak, much to Cynthia's surprise, finally on his feet. He ran to the spear, grabbing it from the ground and spinning to face Cynthia with it, who was still getting up. He held the tip of the spear right in front of her face, demanding she surrender. She sat there for a moment, clearly not having wanted to have to give up, but she knew that she was beaten. She sighed, announcing her surrender and handing Morgan's cloak back to him.

Morgana had heavily underestimated just how good of an option an axe would end up being against Kjelle. It served as a surprisingly effective shield due to the sheer size of the blade, and its sheer power meant Kjelle was having a hard time pushing her back with her spear. Morgana waited for the right moment, and then found it, shoving her axe against Kjelle's spear as it lunged at her, knocking the spear out of the knight's hands and sending it skidding across the floor. Kjelle didn't go after it, instead running at Morgana in an attempt to tackle her to the ground. The girl sidestepped, slamming her axe against Kjelle's heavily armored stomach, knocking the air out of her. She then followed up by pulling it back and using the momentum to spin herself around, increasing the speed of the attack as it hit Kjelle in the back, sending her to the ground, unconscious. Morgana was so winded that it took her a second of recovery before she was able to check on the unconscious Kjelle. Upon confirming her passed out status, Morgana jumped in joy, positively giddy, hugging her axe. "You are my new best friend!" She exclaimed to the weapon, beginning to think about the costs and benefits of taking up formal axe training.

After the two had recovered, they both walked out of the makeshift arena and were declared the winners. Morgan's response was merely a happy grin while Morgana could barely contain her excitement. As Kjelle and Cynthia dejectedly walked out of the battlefield and over to the clerics, Morgana couldn't help but stick her tongue out at Kjelle, with Cynthia sticking her tongue out right back at her. Morgan ruffled his hands through his messy hair before Morgana hugged him tightly. "We did it! We really did it! I knew you would help us get a victory!" Despite Morgan trying to pull away, her grip remained tight, much to his displeasure. Nah and Nowi got to work on destroying the arena, much to Nowi's frustration. To be fair though, not too much of it was left, most of it having been reduced to charcoal thanks to the firework stunt that had been pulled. "Ooh, I forgot if there were victory conditions! I'm gonna go check that!" Morgana realized, letting go of Morgan and rushing off towards Kjelle and Cynthia. It was only then that Morgan noticed his mother standing by the doorway leading out of the training grounds, her arms crossed and an impressed smile on her face. He blushed softly, his grin turning into a full-fledged smile as he decided to follow Morgana.

Robin sighed happily, glad to see that the two already were so talented at working together. That kind of coordination was always important in a battle. She headed out of the training grounds, the happy moment unfortunately dashed as a familiar voice began speaking to her once again.  **"** **Smart kids. Still, the girl's too much of an airhead for her own good. She can barely remember a thing!** **"**  The Fell Dragon mocked, causing Robin to grind her teeth.  **"** **Oh what, did I touch a nerve? I guess you can relate to her plight. Then again, at least she's starting to get her memories back, which makes her one step ahead of you in that department. And if she's a total airhead, what does that make you?"**

"Shut up." Robin muttered, low enough that nobody around her would hear it. In response, an amused laugh could be heard.  **"** **Oh, but why? After all, I'm the only one who knows anything about your past. Well, the only one that you and your friends didn't kill."**  That surprised the tactician. "You told me you would never say anything about my past. I thought you wanted to lord that knowledge over me." " **And I still will, as far as you know. But isn't the possibility just so enticing? The idea that one of these days, I might slip and reveal something. A childhood pet, a best friend, the face of your mother…so many juicy memories."** Robin's hands balled into fists. " **But, I'll honor your wish and keep my mouth shut. I wouldn't want to get you too angry; you're far cuter with that look of frustration and confusion."**  Another laugh echoed through Robin's head as she trembled slightly. She stopped and took a breath. Losing her temper wouldn't do at a time like this. She still had to help prepare for the ball. It was only a few days away, after all. The longing of lost memories left her soul pining as she resumed her walk, trying to replace the sorrow with the joy she had felt upon seeing Morgan and Morgana emerge victorious from their mock battle. It only slightly helped.


	8. From the Top

"No no no, that simply won't work!" Inigo exclaimed, causing Brady to stop playing his violin. Inigo turned around to face his friend, exasperated. "The song you picked is just too forlorn-sounding to work with this dance. We need something peppier, more exciting! Not too upbeat, but something that can get everyone in a good mood!" Brady sighed, having been practicing for hours now, but nodded, picking another song from his memory to try. He readied the bow of his violin as Inigo got into position for the beginning of his song. "From the top now! One, two…"

* * *

"Oh, come on, it looks great on you!" Cynthia exclaimed to Lucina as her sister looked down nervously at her dress. The Royal Ball was only a few days away, and anyone who attended was required to wear dress clothes, usually a tuxedo or gown. Lucina had decided to trust her sister for the first time to help pick out her gown, and Cynthia had gone with a frog-green ball gown with red spots. She had tried to collaborate with her sister, but Cynthia seemed determined to get it right without any kind of tips. Lucina had to admit, she was no expert on fashion herself. She had become painfully aware of the fact a few years prior when she had worn what could only be described as a garish monstrosity of design, a blue and yellow ball gown with purple zig-zags running across. However, she liked to think that her sense of fashion had grown overtime, and she could tell the latest dress Cynthia had picked out just would not work.

"Cynthia, look." Lucina said with a sigh, trying to put it nicely for her sister. "It's a great dress, but I just feel it isn't up to the standards of the ball." Cynthia's optimism fell, and Lucina tried to correct herself. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I'm trying to say is that we should probably go with a simpler color scheme, and then try more intricacies with the design itself." Cynthia didn't seem quite as dismayed upon hearing that but was clearly not very happy that her ideas were being shot down one by one. Lucina walked up to her sister and put a hand on her shoulder. "We have to work together on this. If only one of us puts in all the input, it'll be a disaster. I was hoping that we could combine our equally bad tastes in fashion and hopefully come up with something great."

"So, it's two wrongs making a right?" Cynthia asked, smiling softly at the bizarre thought. Lucina couldn't help but chuckle, nodding. It was a bit strange of an idea, but then again, so was a green gown with red spots. "Alright, I guess I can forfeit a little bit of control…" Her train of thought was interrupted however as she noticed an open drawer in Lucina's nightstand, a letter visible inside. "Hm? What's this?" She asked, walking over to inspect it, much to Lucina's worry.

"Ah, n-nothing!" Lucina stammered, rushing in front of Cynthia and slamming the drawer shut, much to her sister's disappointment. "Don't worry about it! It's from, uh…a boy! Yeah, it's a love letter!" Lucina immediately cursed herself for saying that, as all it did was ignite Cynthia's imagination.

"A boy!?" Cynthia gasped in delight, furiously trying to get behind Lucina to grab the letter. "Lemme read it, lemme read it, lemme read it! Ooh, I bet it's from Inigo, right? Or maybe Brady, he always was a good poet! C'mon, tell me who it's from!" Lucina sighed yet again as she realized Cynthia wasn't gonna let up.

"Okay, it's not from a boy! I lied!" Lucina admitted, Cynthia finally relenting as she stepped back, confused. "It's…it's from dad. I'm not really supposed to talk about it." She muttered, hoping Cynthia would get the hint. Unfortunately, she didn't.

"Aww, what? Why did you get some fancy letter from dad, but I didn't? Actually, the more important question is what it says!" Cynthia was still fascinated by the letter, and after a moment of deliberation, Lucina decided just trusting her sister to keep it quiet was better than trusting her not to open it without her permission.

"I don't know, actually." Lucina started, Cynthia giving her a confused look. "He says I'm not to open it until I believe I'm ready. That it contains some truth I may not like. I think it's supposed to help me prepare to become the Exalt when the role is passed down to me. Like I said, I wasn't supposed to talk about it."

Cynthia gave an understanding nod. "Well, that makes sense, actually. Dad would totally do something like that. But why haven't you opened it? If you ask me, you're totally ready for whatever it contains!" Lucina had to admit, Cynthia's kind words were encouraging. Regardless, she shook her head.

"No. As much as I sometimes think I'd be ready to read whatever's in there, I always follow up that thought with if I'd be ready to take my father's place. And my answer to that second question has always been no." Lucina paused, neither of the siblings breaking the silence. "The day that I can or must assume his place, I'll open it. Not a day before nor after."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Hey, no need to be so mopey about it! Tell you what; when the day comes, I'll let you read it too. Promise!" Lucina spoke, trying to brighten the mood. It worked, as Cynthia became overjoyed at the idea of her sister sharing the secret of the letter with her, even if it wouldn't be for a long while. "Now c'mon, help me get out of this gown, and we can go look for a new one together."

* * *

"Come on Brady, it's too happy now, just as I said it shouldn't be! How can the denizens of the ball remember Emmeryn's memory if they're too busy fast-dancing and such?" Inigo lamented, much to Brady's growing annoyance.

"Ya think that maybe a good time's all they're wantin'?" Brady asked through gritted teeth. Inigo shook his head dismissively.

"No, no, we must balance the feelings of joy and sadness in a way that befits the Royal Ball! New song, from the top! One, two…"

* * *

The silence between Nah and Gerome was thicker than molasses, and Nah's response to Gerome's question was about as slow as it too. Finally, after about a minute of silence, Gerome spoke. "If you aren't interested, that's understandable."

Nah looked over at her friend, not having expected a comment like that from him. "Oh, I didn't intend for my silence to carry that message across, my apologies." More silence followed, almost just as long as before.

"Well then, if it is alright with me asking, why were you so silent?"

"I was wondering to myself why you would ask me to the ball. I'm certainly not the most physically attractive girl you could ask, nor am I the kindest or most intelligent." This time, Gerome responded almost immediately, taken aback by Nah's self-deprecating comments.

"That doesn't matter to me! I think you're amazing exactly how you are, Nah. It would be my absolute pleasure to be your date to the ball." Gerome explained, inciting quite the surprise from Nah. The manakete looked back at Gerome, her face slightly red.

"It would be my pleasure as well." Nah simply responded. Gerome practically shrank as his rigid posture softened, breathing a sigh of relief. Nah was puzzled by this. "You sure are relieved. I didn't realize you assumed I would say no."

"I tend to expect the worst in situations like this. It means I'm less disappointed when the result isn't good. Thankfully, this wasn't one of those times." The two stared at eachother for a moment, both smiling softly.

"Don't think this means we're an official couple or anything. I'm not one to get married at this age."

"Wait, who said anything about marriage!?"

* * *

Brady was listening to another one of Inigo's lectures about the mood and atmosphere that the song and dance needed to carry in order to properly compliment the ball. Frankly, Brady was getting sick of hearing it. He had played every song he knew and none of them seemed to meld enough with Inigo's dance to satisfy him. Well, Brady had had enough. He stood up from his chair, towering over Inigo, who stepped back in fear at his intimidating pose.

"Then how 'bout you change your stinking dance?" Brady asked, his voice low. Inigo nodded rapidly, taking a couple more steps back. Brady sighed, sitting back down in his chair and readying his violin. "Alright. Old song, new dance. From the top. One, two…"

* * *

Severa was in the middle of slicing up a training dummy when she was tapped on the shoulder, her reflexes sending her sword swinging at the source. Thankfully, Morgan was wise enough to preemptively duck, narrowly avoiding the slice. "Woah! Geez, I didn't realize you were so keen on beheading me!" He joked as Severa frantically apologized. "It's alright, really." He assured her as he sat down on a bale of hay meant to hold targets for archery practice.

"You know, if I had beheaded you, it would've been your fault! So, I hope you weren't planning on haunting me with your stupid headless ghost if it had happened!" Severa whined, causing Morgan to laugh. "What do you even want, anyways!?" She exclaimed furiously.

"Ah, right! I had nearly forgotten what I was here to say!" Morgan exclaimed as Severa set her sword on a wooden rack, leaning against a much taller bale of hay. "I need advice. A…particular kind." Morgan said rather awkwardly. Severa raised an eyebrow. "It's about, um…confessions." That last part was barely above a whisper. "See, there's this girl that I really, really like. I've finally gathered up the guts to confess to her at the ball tomorrow. The only problem beyond the possibility of her saying no is that I'm just not sure  _how_  to do it. I've…never really had feelings like this for someone, let alone confessed them." Morgan looked down at his feet.

"I think you're asking the wrong person here, Morgan." Severa responded rather dryly. "I'm not really a romantic girl, you know. You should ask my mom; she's the one who reads all those crummy romance novels."

"I am not asking your mom for romantic advice!" Morgan responded, rather flustered by her response. "Besides, there isn't really one true answer to this kinda stuff, right? Everyone is a little different in how they'd want someone to confess. I was just hoping that I could have at least some pointers…" Morgan seemed to be about ready to leave. Severa sighed, playing with one of her long pigtails.

"Fine. I'll give you some pointers." Severa gave in, much to Morgan's delight. He stared at her with rapt focus, ready to hear her tips. "If some guy were to confess to me, I wouldn't want it to be around other people. Gods, I'd die of embarrassment on the spot. No, for me it'd have to be alone. But other girls may like it differently, so keep that in mind!" She quickly added, with Morgan nodding in response. She huffed, looking out towards the setting sun. "I wouldn't want him to dance around it. It just shows a lack of confidence. Instead, I'd just want him to say it, then and there. No theatrics, none of that. After that…I don't know, honestly." She looked back to Morgan, who nodded once more. "Does that help?"

"Yeah, it helps a ton! Thank you so much Severa, you're a huge help!" Morgan began to rush off, with Severa yelling after him.

"You're gonna ask other girls, right!? Don't just ask for my advice! Like I said, I'm not a romantic girl!" Severa shouted, though Morgan gave no indication that he had heard her shouting. She sighed, walking back to the wooden weapons rack and grabbing the sword once again, whacking the training dummy with a harsher, fiercer feel to every blow. "Damnit." Another blow. "Damnit!" Another blow, knocking the dummy's head clean off. "DAMNIT!" She threw her weapon to the side as she fell to the ground, sniffing. Morgan had a crush on someone. She had so many opportunities she could have taken to stop this, but she never could work up the courage to say something. Or perhaps she was just too stubborn to say it. Either way, it was too late now. She had lost her chance. A single tear streamed down her cheek. "Damnit…"


	9. Take Care of Her

A dilemma had faced Morgan throughout the entire day of the Royal Ball. The work had been done, and now all that was left was the last bit of preparations and waiting for night to come so the ball could begin. This left Morgan thinking to himself, and that's how said dilemma came to him. He had spent hours upon hours helping get things ready for the ball, and in all that time had forgotten to get himself a tuxedo. Upon having realized this fact early in the morning, he went looking in the castle town for any kind of suit to wear, only to find most shops closed for the celebration. Even more unfortunately, the ones that were still open were completely sold out of anything even close to his size. At this point, the sun was beginning to set, the ball would begin soon, and Morgan was no closer to finding a solution. He had no idea that another dilemma would rear its head in a moment.

Morgana burst into Morgan's room without warning, scaring Morgan quite heavily. Morgana either didn't notice or didn't care as she slammed the door shut behind her. "I'm gonna do it today! I mean, tonight! Yeah, tonight!" She was breathing heavily, having ran to his room the whole way, an enthusiastic smile on her face. "I'm gonna confess to my crush!" This left Morgan ridiculously worried, of course. He stood up from his bed.

"No, nonono, you are absolutely  _not_  going to confess tonight!" Morgan said hurriedly. It was only as he walked up to Morgana that he noticed the ball gown that she was wearing. It was a raven black with soft purple bows adorning the bottom, going all the way around. The colors blended together well enough that the bows ended up accentuating the gown rather than sticking out.

"You like it?" Morgana asked, doing a twirl. "I got help from Lady Lissa with the design, and then that weird dark mage with the scary look in her eyes helped me pick the colors!" That made sense. Morgan could see both ladies' influence on the design. Though, he was surprised that somehow, they worked so well together. "Wait, what do you mean no!? You don't even know who I'm going to confess to!" Morgan cursed himself mentally.

"Well, it doesn't matter who it is, because it's far too soon to confess anything!" Morgan said, trying to cover any cracks that Morgana could use to find out that he was aware of her crush on Lucina. "You don't know any of these people well enough to confess. Even if you do remember your crush by this point, the bigger problem is that they don't know you." Morgan argued, though Morgana was having none of it.

"So what!? Love at first sight is a thing that happens all the time! Who's to say that they aren't interested in me already?" Morgana persisted, growing angry. "I came in here to get advice from you, not for you to shoot my plans down!"

Morgan sighed. "Morgana, this  **is**  my advice. Please, don't rush this. I know you probably had feelings for this person in your world, but things are different here! For all we know, they're entirely different now! You can't just rush things like this!"

"Oh really? Because last I checked, you and mom got used to me in no time!" Morgana retorted. Morgan had to admit, she had a point there. "It's like I'm already a part of the family…" Morgana spoke softly, and Morgan could tell that their bonds had really meant a lot to her. "It's like you really are my brother. So why is confessing to my crush different?"

"Morgana, I…" Morgan found himself struggling to come up with the right words to say. "This is different. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. I just don't want you to say something too soon, and potentially ruin your chance." Morgan tried to explain. "If you can wait until a better opportunity, then perhaps—"

"I'm tired of waiting!" Morgana shouted, much to Morgan's surprise. Her hands were balled up into fists, and her body was shaking. "I know you've seen my memories, Morgan. I know you've seen how much she means to me." Morgan was caught off guard by this. She had known he would've found out, yet she didn't say anything. Perhaps it was for the same reason he hesitated to say anything to her about it. "And that means you also know that I can't remember how it ends. I can't remember what happened to her, to any of them! But if I'm here, in this world, instead of back in my world, with the Lucina I was supposed to tell my feelings to, then…then…" Morgana was on the verge of tears, putting every ounce of effort into trying to stop them.

"Morgana…" Morgan spoke quietly, looking at his sister with worry. Morgana's body heaved, before she burst into tears, staying where she was.

"Then for all I know, they're all dead!" She exclaimed, tears running down her face. "I couldn't save them, and I ran! I ran like a coward because that's who I am! I'm a coward who could never say what I felt to her, who ran away from my world to yours! I'm a no-good, disgusting—" Morgana stopped as Morgan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her crying ceased for a brief moment before it returned as she set her face over his shoulder, sobbing out all of her pent-up emotions.

"It's okay. It's alright." Morgan assured her softly, hugging her tighter. He didn't worry about whether someone passing by might hear Morgana's sobbing. He didn't worry that he still hadn't picked out a suit to wear. At that point, at that moment, all he worried about was whether his sister was gonna be okay.

"I don't wanna lose this chance!" Morgana continued to weep, her grip tightening around Morgan's cloak. "I don't wanna keep waiting, only for something to take her from me again!"

"I know sis, I know…" Morgan spoke, his voice still soft and calm. Even if he couldn't make her feel better, he could at least let her know that he understood, to a point. He didn't know if it was helping, but he kept at it regardless, not letting go. "I should've realized sooner that was what you were thinking."

"I have to tell her, even if she says no." Morgan sniffed, her tears beginning to subside. Despite this, she kept hugging Morgan, the comfort he provided too much to pull away from. "Even if she rejects me, no matter what she says, I have to tell her." There was a pause, where neither of them spoke.

"…Okay." Morgan answered, much to Morgana's surprise. "Then tell her. I won't stop you. If telling her now means that much, then you should do it." One last tear fell down Morgana's face and onto her brother's shoulder.

"Thank you."

* * *

Severa didn't want to go to the stupid ball. Why should she care? Two kinds of people went to these kinds of things; people who came in with dates, and people who came out with dates. She doubted either of those options were going to happen to her. She had decided in the morning that sulking in her room was a far better idea than getting humiliated at some stupid fancy-pants social gathering. Still, she hadn't really thought of how she was going to spend the day without food…she had made it through breakfast and lunch, and as the sun was setting, she realized that she was far too hungry to go without dinner. She slowly got off her bed and exited her room. Surely the chefs wouldn't notice if she snagged a few rolls, maybe an apple or two? It was a big gathering, so food going missing was bound to happen.

Severa later returned from her successful stealth mission, carrying more than a few buttered rolls, as well as definitely more than two apples. She was hungry, who could blame her? As she bit down into a roll, she arrived at her bedroom, only to find a note on the ground below it. Careful not to drop her food, she bent down, taking it and turning it over to read its contents. As she looked through the letter, still holding that buttered roll in her mouth, her eyebrow raised.

_Changed my mind. Screw the ball. Meet me at the training plaza balcony?_

_-Morgan_

* * *

Morgana couldn't help but stare in wonder at the Royal Ball in motion. The full moon shone in from the windows, helping the numerous chandeliers hanging from the immensely tall ceiling above light up the entire ballroom. She had never seen any part of the Ylissean palace so decadently designed, and she had to admit, it was a nice change of pace, even if it was only for one night. She looked around at the people located around her. She saw Gerome and Nah attempting a slow dance, neither of them too experienced with the subject, judging by how often they were stepping on eachothers' toes. Despite this, they still seemed to be enjoying themselves. Cynthia was eagerly chatting up some guys, trying to get Noire to join in, despite the archer's frantic head shaking. Some of the older Shepherds were chatting with eachother, smiles on their faces. Cordelia was walking all over the ballroom, making sure everything was up to snuff, and fixing anything that wasn't. Her husband just watched her, an amused smile on his face, clearly waiting until she would give up the constant searching and join him for a dance. Most surprisingly, however, was Inigo and Brady dancing and playing with the musicians providing music for the occasion. All in all, everyone was having fun.

Morgana spotted Lucina talking with her father at the side of the ballroom, laughing with eachother before Sumia took Chrom's hand and pulled him into the midst of the dancing couples. Lucina giggled as she watched them, taking a bite of a baked pastry as she watched. She saw her chance and approached the princess, being noticed rather quickly. Lucina waved friendlily, and she waved back, walking up to her. "Hey, I'm glad you made it!" Lucina said cheerily as Morgan stood next to her, watching the dancing couples.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't gonna let the lack of a date stop me," Morgana said in response, looking at Lucina's ball gown. It was a deep blue, matching her hair color perfectly. The design was surprisingly simple and helped her blend in rather than stand out. "Wow, what a great gown! Where'd you get it?"

"Thank you. I got it from this back-alley shop in town. It was super shady, but Cynthia told me that she swore by the dresses they sold. Now that I'm wearing one, I can definitely see why." Lucina answered, looking at Morgana's own ball gown. "I love the pattern on yours! Aunt Lissa's influence, I assume?" She asked, to which Morgana nodded. "Thought so. She and Lady Maribelle have always been big on bows." The two chatted for a while longer about various topics.

"So, you didn't bring a date either?" Morgana asked, having noticed that there weren't any boys Lucina's age that were standing with her. Lucina chuckled, taking another bite out of her pastry, a crumb remaining on her cheek.

"No. I've never been one to go into nor leave the ball with a date," Lucina confirmed, surprising Morgana. "Frankly, I had just never been able to find anyone I liked enough to invite or accept the invitation of. Plus, it sends the nobles into a frenzy. There's been this rumor that I have some secret forbidden romance for the longest time now." Lucina laughed at that last part, and Morgana found herself giggling as well.

"Well, there has to be  _someone_  you would wanna take as a date. Even if it is the result of a forbidden romance." Morgana asked teasingly, though Lucina could tell the question itself was legitimate.

"Okay, fine. I trust you." Lucina answered with a warm smile, staring out into the crowd. "There is…one guy." Morgana raised an eyebrow, giving Lucina an intrigued "hmm?". "He's pretty cute and really nice. He seems like he's exactly my type as well." She paused. "It's just…I haven't known him that long, you know? I'm not against the idea of love at first sight, in fact, I think it's what I'm going through. The problem is, I don't know if he feels the same way. Even if he does, I think I should just let it sit for a bit. It's too early to say anything. I'm just a little worried that when the time comes, I won't be able to say anything. I've never been the best at this kind of stuff." Lucina looked down at the ground, a little downtrodden at the thought.

"You know, I'm actually going through something similar," Morgana said in response, catching Lucina's curiosity. "There's…a guy, and, well, it's a bit more complex. I've known him, or I guess, I've known  _about_  him for a while now. The only problem is, he's only just now really getting to know me." She took a deep breath. "I was actually planning on confessing to him tonight, you know? What you said though…it makes sense, now that I hear it from someone else. Well, someone else besides my brother."

"You have a brother?"

Morgana froze, realizing her slip-up. "Oh, yeah, I never mentioned that, did I? Heh, well, I used to know him. I mean, I still do! Or, um, I…" Damnit, damnit! Morgana looked at Lucina, who surprisingly enough, was just giving a knowing smile.

"It's alright if you don't wanna tell me some specifics, or mask some of the truths about the situation," Lucina said, much to Morgana's confusion. "Truth be told, I may have done a bit of that myself. Not all of my story was…totally accurate. So, I get it. 'Brother' was just a word you used to describe someone you're close to, right?"

"R-right! Yup!" Morgana exclaimed, mentally letting out a massive sigh of relief. Her voice quieted down as she continued. "Anyways, I just wanna thank you for your story. I think I needed to hear something like that again before I could really accept what I needed to do." An idea popped into Morgana's head. "Actually, how about this? If you help me remember why I should not confess early like a total idiot, I'll help you prepare enough courage to confess to your crush when the day comes. Sound like a deal?"

Lucina was taken aback by the suggestion, but after a few seconds began to laugh, nodding her head. "Alright, deal. Now c'mon, I heard they're gonna restock the food around now. The palace has some of the best seafood out there, trust me."

* * *

Severa walked out of the castle and into the outdoor training plaza. The place was abandoned, with only some practice weapons and training dummies lying around. She had to admit, she hadn't expected it to look this night. However, the full moon shining down helped illuminate the plaza in a pale glow, giving the place a sort of ethereal beauty. While looking out towards the balcony, she spotted Morgan, who was currently leaning his arms against the railing, staring out at the horizon. Severa walked up towards him, standing next to him and resting an arm onto the railing, holding out her hand so that her head could rest on it.

Severa finally got a good view of what Morgan had been looking at; a view of the town below, just about every building lit up, with celebrating so loud that one could hear it even all the way up there, if they were silent enough to notice. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who decided to flake on the ball," Severa admitted, a cold breeze blowing past the two. "Though, I thought you were gonna confess to your crush tonight? Don't tell me you chickened out. Or worse, gave up on it just to hang out with me so I didn't get lonely." Severa chuckled, though it was obvious that she didn't actually find it very funny of an idea.

"No, nothing like that. I just…" Morgan stopped, not finishing what he was going to say. The two of them watched the town below for a while, the wind blowing being the only other sound aside from the celebrating below that they could hear. Severa heard Morgan take a deep breath, and before she turned to face him, he spoke.

"I like you."

Severa's heart nearly stopped beating, her eyes widening. Had…had she misheard him? Or perhaps she was just misinterpreting what he meant by the statement. She had to find out for sure. "Well, that's a vague statement if I've ever heard one." She said sarcastically, though she truly just wanted to hide the actual emotions running through her.

"I like you, Severa." Morgan was embarrassed as hell, judging by his voice and how he began to slowly start speaking faster and faster. "I like you, and I couldn't work up the courage to tell you, but then I thought that if I asked you for how you would want someone to confess to you that I would be able to do it right and that would help me work up the courage, and it did, but then I had to make up an excuse for why I wouldn't actually go to the ball since you told me that you don't like—"

"Morgan," Severa spoke, snapping Morgan out of his long-winded tangent, turning his head to look at her. He only caught her face rushing towards his own before suddenly, her lips were pressed against his own. He froze completely, having no idea how to continue after what had just happened. Severa held her lips against Morgan for a few seconds before pulling away, smiling. "You're a terrible kisser." She said, making Morgan's face go redder than she thought she had ever seen it before. "But I'll admit, you're good at surprising a girl." She looked back out towards the town, with Morgan following suit, his face still red as a beet. "I like you too, just so you know."

"You do…?"

"Of course I do, idiot. I swear, sometimes you are the biggest moron I know." Severa's words may have been insulting, but the way she spoke them was anything but. It was kind, affectionate. Not a way Severa usually spoke towards anyone. Morgan understood that that was proof of her claim. The two of them continued to look down to the town below, listening to the celebrations as the two of them struggled to figure out to say next. No matter what either of them said, Morgan was happy. Severa was too.

* * *

_"INIGO!" Lucina screamed as her friend dropped to the mud, the dark brown soaking in red. Lucina rushed to him, getting down on her knees, seeing the empty look in his eyes, staring into nothing. She held in a sob as Morgan pulled her up, allowing her to see the hordes of Risen coming at them._

_"We can't stop to mourn now!" Morgan insisted, casting an Elthunder that electrocuted the rain it passed through, disintegrating the risen directly in its path and incapacitating the ones around it. Lucina shook her head to clear her thoughts, shoving Falchion through the neck of a risen, yanking it to the side and dissolving it in a cloud of ash. In the distance, nearly out of view, they could see it. Purple flames rising around it, engulfing it but leaving it unharmed. The body of Morgan's mother, now inhabited by something inhuman. The girls nodded to eachother, making a break for it through the horde of Risen that seemed near limitless. Morgan would use her tomes to clear a path whilst Lucina attacked any that came too close. After what seemed like hours of running through the mud, seemingly growing stickier and thicker, they stood face to face with the Fell Dragon._

_Lucina wasted no time, charging for the beast with Falchion raised, assuming the same fighting stance as her father. Morgan should have warned her. She should have noticed sooner that there had to have been a reason for the Fell Dragon assuming this form, rather than its significantly more powerful dragon form. By the time she had pieced it together, it was too late. It was a trap, and as Lucina charged at Grima, decaying hands shot out of the ground, grabbing at her ankles and sending her to the ground. She chopped the hands off as the Risen they belonged to began to emerge from the mud, letting out unnerving groans. Morgan rushed to help her but was grabbed from behind and yanked back by what must have been over a half dozen Risen, grabbing her arms and limply hitting her tome and Levin Sword, knocking them out of her hands. The Fell Dragon smirked, walking slowly to Lucina and kicking her square in the face. The princess slumped over, unconscious, and Grima then turned its gaze towards Morgan. Fear surged through every vein of her body like a strike of lightning, her hands going cold and clammy as the monstrosity approached, bearing the all-too-familiar visage of the mother she had loved so dearly. It reached out a gloved hand, gently caressing Morgan's chin, just like her mother…before she could react, she was knocked out cold._

_How long had it been since then? Morgan had no way of telling. The tiny, dingy cell she was locked in shrouded her in a perpetual darkness, and her eyes could only adjust so much to compensate. A tray of food laid untouched next to her, a canteen that had once contained water having been thrown at the bars of the cell door, water now soaking it. The only thing cushioning her body as she laid there was the hay covering the floor. There were no guards; after all, there was nobody left to rescue her. The moans of Risen surprised her as they became louder, signifying their approach. It couldn't have been meal time, they had just come an hour ago. Had it been an hour? Maybe she was losing the little sense of time she had left. She heard the door unlock, and the sound of footsteps shuffling against the hay. Bony limbs picked Morgan up from the ground and dragged her out of the cell. She didn't resist. They'd only beat her until she couldn't struggle anymore. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she had any resistance left in her._

_Morgan had no idea how long the Risen had been dragging her, nor to where. Every room they entered seemed just as dark and barren as the last, like she was stuck in some sort of purgatory. Finally, a hint of light became visible in the distance. Morgan would have been overjoyed if said light wasn't a glowing, flickering purple. She knew what it belonged to. The monster in the body of her mother gave Morgan a warm, pleasant smile as Morgan was dragged closer and closer. "My child, it is so good to see you." The greeting had all the warmth behind it that anything from her actual mother would've had. However, it was also laced with deception. Morgan knew that everything about its demeanor was fake; a lie to only further torment her. She was hurled to the ground, landing on her face before being yanked up so she was on her knees. At the same time, she noticed someone else being dragged in, a familiar voice yelling and screaming as she continued struggling against the Risen dragging her. Morgan opened her mouth to speak but found her voice empty. It had been so long since she had last said anything that she had briefly forgotten exactly how to speak._

_"Morgan…?" Lucina asked hesitantly as she looked past the Fell Dragon and at her friend. "Gods, it really is you…" Lucina attempted to cry but found she couldn't muster up any tears. Morgan found her situation to be similar._

_"Dearest Lucina here did not want to tell me what I needed to know, so I offered her a choice; tell me what Naga told her, or never see you again," Grima told Morgan, looking at the princess with a soft, sinister smile. "And after hearing that, oh did she tell me the most fascinating things. Naga's plans to summon heroes from another realm to help stop me. How she would go about doing it. It was quite enlightening, I must say. Though, the most enlightening part of it by far was just how much she was willing to say just to see you one last time. I must say Morgan, you should be overjoyed by how much she cares." Morgan's heart sank. The two girls stared at eachother, Lucina's defiant gaze desperately telling Morgan's hopeless stare to keep fighting._

_"Though, as I brought you both here to fulfill Lucina's wish, I realized how inconsiderate I had been. I never asked what_ _**you** _ _wanted, my dearest daughter." With that, the Risen picked Morgan up off her knees, standing her up as the Fell Dragon approached, only a breath away from Morgan as she looked her in the eyes. Her purple eyes, glowing with power, gazed right back. "What is your wish, my child?" Morgan's head suddenly pounded, like each pump of blood in her veins was amplified exponentially. She gasped and groaned, her brain feeling like it was being engulfed in flames. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Then, as fast as it had begun, it was over. Her head felt…fuzzy. She looked back into her mother's eyes and knew what she truly wished._

_"To serve you, mother."_

_Her mother smiled in delight. "Oh my, I had no idea that was your true desire! I'm so glad you finally chose to stand with your mother in the end. However, there's really nothing I need." She paused. "Actually…what the princess said about Naga, about their dimension-hopping plans. It got me thinking…I don't need any help, but perhaps there is another me out there who does. I'm sure you would be such a boon to them. Would you do that for me?" Lucina watched in horror as Morgan slowly nodded, her glazed-over eyes unmoving, still staring directly into her mother's. "Good. I knew I could trust you with such an important task. However, I do realize now that there's one final loose end that needs tying up." She glanced to Lucina, still kneeling with her arms held above her by Risen. As Morgan looked to Lucina, then back, she saw her mother was now carrying a Levin Sword, likely the one Morgan had been wielding. "Take care of her, would you?"_

_The Risen let go of Morgan, the girl almost falling but maintaining her balance as she took the lightning bolt blade from her mother's hands, turning to and walking towards Lucina. "Morgan…?" Lucina spoke, terror beginning to spread through her body like a lake slowly freezing over. "Morgan. It's me, Lucina. Remember? We were gonna make it out of this together. You were gonna tell me how you felt. That you loved me." Morgan got closer. "Morgan, don't give in to her! Whatever spell she's got you under, you can break through it! I know you can Morgan, you're strong enough to do it!" She looked down at the floor, closing her eyes tight as she screamed. "PLEASE, MORGAN!"_

_Silence. Lucina opened her eyes, seeing her friend's feet in front of her. Her eyes wide, she slowly looked up, seeing her best friend looking down at her. Lucina's eyes stared up at her, fearful and horrified. Morgan's eyes stared back, empty. There was nothing behind them. Lucina sharply, quickly inhaled, and let out a scream of pure terror._

_Lucina's scream was cut short._


	10. I Knew

A cry of pain was almost immediately silenced by the blade of an axe, wielded with minimal effort as it sliced through a royal guard's neck and lodged itself into the wall behind him. Morgana roughly yanked the axe back, making the guard's body crumple to the floor. Her empty eyes didn't even flinch as the corpse hit the ground, instead moving to look at the other guard that had been there as he tried to run away and get help. Morgana speedily removed a thunder tome from her satchel and cast it, hitting the guard square in the back and sending him sprawling to the floor. She walked towards him as he desperately tried to crawl away, barely able to see with his vision going blurry combined with the natural darkness that the night had brought. Morgana kicked him in the side, flipping him onto his back and holding the blade of her axe inches from his throat. "The Emblem. Where is it?" She asked, her voice wispy and faraway like she wasn't even fully present in the moment.

The guard stared at Morgana, trying to maintain his defiance as she stood above him, her weapon ready. "I don't even know where it is! You interrogated the wrong guards for the task! Even if you kill me here, I'll be found before you can escape! You—" The guard groaned loudly in pain as Morgana stomped on his stomach, twisting her heel.

"I remember you. You spoke about guarding the Emblem to a fellow guard when I walked by once." Morgana revealed, much to the guard's shock. "Tell me its location and you can live to warn the palace. Don't, and I'll keep searching until I find another guard who's willing to talk. Who knows how long that will take?" Despite her malicious words, her tone was devoid of malice, nor any emotion.

The guard laid there, breathing heavily, imagining just how many of the other guards she could end up going through in order to get information that he knew she would inevitably obtain. "Okay, okay I'll tell you! In the Exalt's study, the bookcase is hiding a panel, hollow from the rest of the back! If you pull it to the side, there'll be a lever that opens the doorway to the chamber storing the Emblem!" He couldn't help but feel weak. He had let down not just his colleagues, but his Exalt, his country. He had given in. He only hoped that more of the guards would be saved and that Exalt Chrom could stop her in time. Morgana seemed to believe him. It came as no surprise to him when she raised her axe, readying it for one last blow. It was always unlikely she would live up to that part of the bargain.

* * *

A loud banging sound awoke Robin suddenly, making her spring up from her bed as she heard a familiar voice. "Mom! Mom, it's the Emblem! They're going after the Emblem!" Morgana! Robin slipped her Grandmaster's cloak on and grabbed her Levin Sword, knowing it was fully likely she would need the magical and physical protection they provided. She opened the door, seeing her daughter with a panicked expression and blood on her cloak. "Mom, oh thank goodness they haven't gotten to you yet! I remembered why I came here! It's the Grimleal, they've staged a plan to steal the Emblem! I tried to stop them, but they killed some of the guards and fled to Exalt Chrom's study! I think that's where it is!" Robin couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was so busy trying to process the information through her dazed mind that she didn't even notice the strange, almost empty look in her daughter's eyes.

"Chrom's study!? Why would he hide it there?" Robin asked, following Morgana as the girl wasted no time in heading down the halls. "Who else knows about this?" In her haste to get ready, she had completely forgotten to take any kind of spell tome. If need be, she could borrow one of Morgana's.

"I don't know, but that's where they went! I only told you, because I remember what happened in my world when this same event occurred! Everybody tried to stop them, but in their panic, they activated some kind of dark spell, killing everyone! This is how we can change things for this world!" Morgana explained as the two arrived at Chrom's study, finding the door already open. Robin held her Levin Sword at the ready as she entered, finding the study completely ransacked, with books torn off their shelves and the table in pieces, one of the legs having been removed entirely. Said table leg had wound up at one of the walls to the room, where an opening stood that Robin had never seen before. "So, he did hide it here…" She mentally cursed Chrom for keeping such a secret from her. She rushed into the doorway, not checking to see if Morgana was keeping up with her.

Down a stone staircase, almost completely darkened by the lack of moonlight, Robin ran, feeling like her run down seemed to never end. Just as all light around her seemed to disappear entirely, a glint appeared in the distance, one that she recognized all too well. She quickened up her pace, nearly tripping numerous times as she began to skip multiple steps with each footfall. The light grew stronger and bolder, illuminating the stairway until finally, the steps ended. Robin found herself in a wide room, constructed of old, cracked stone. The construction was unlike modern Ylissean architecture, implying the chamber was incredibly old. No torches or windows could be seen, the only light source being in the center of the room. The Fire Emblem. This chamber must have been used to house it for centuries, perhaps even longer. A question began to form in Robin's mind, a question that soon led to another. The first: where were the Grimleal that Morgana spoke about? The second: where was Mor—

A loud  _crack_  was heard, followed by Robin slumping to the floor. Behind her was Morgana, holding a broken-off table leg in her hand. She tossed it to the side, bending down and grabbing her mother by the hood of her cloak, dragging her to the center of the room. Once she was there, Morgana headed to the wall of the chamber where her axe was resting, grabbing it and bringing it to the center of the room as well. She got onto one knee, removing her satchel from her shoulder and opening it, fishing through her tomes and Robin's strategy journal and removing a book that was far different from the others, bearing a six-eyed symbol on the front cover. She grabbed the Fire Emblem from the pedestal it was resting on, setting it next to her unconscious mother. She opened the book, closing her eyes as she began to chant.

* * *

Morgan awoke, sitting upright almost immediately, his face drenched in sweat as terror flooded his veins. The dream he had just experienced was fresh in his mind; nothing had been forgotten. Within seconds, he was out the door, slinging his cloak over his shoulder as he carried an Arcfire tome in his left hand. He was trying not to hyperventilate as his panic combined with his heavy breathing. He still had no idea of the specifics. Had Morgana always been under Grima's control? Had she been free of the control until the memory returned? Either way, one thing was clear as the full moon still hanging in the sky; Morgana was not to be trusted. And if his gut was right, she was very likely already in the middle of something terrible.

The first door Morgan stopped at was Severa's, and he wasted no time in banging fiercely on it, shouting. "SEVERA! GRAB A WEAPON!" He kept pounding and pounding on the door until Severa opened it, her hair, usually tied into pigtails, now flowing freely down. She had a sword in hand, though she had no armor on. "Severa, listen to me very carefully."

"No, listen to me Morgan, just because we're dating now doesn't mean you get to barge in like—" Severa began to interrupt, much to Morgan's frustration. There wasn't any time for this.

"Severa, listen to me damnit!" Morgan shouted, catching the half-awake Severa in the middle of her sentence and quieting her down. "Get some armor on and meet me at Lucina's room. It's Morgana, she's…" Morgan hesitated. What was he to say to her? It seemed he didn't need to, as Severa's eyes widened.

"Oh, gods. Something's wrong, isn't it?" Severa asked quietly. Morgan nodded. "We need to alert everyone, tell them that something's happened to her—"

"No!" Morgan hastily said. He couldn't trust so many people to not potentially harm Morgana. He needed to find her and try and help her. He couldn't let anyone do something horrible to her. "Listen, if too many people start searching, she's gonna get spooked and run." Morgan lied, deciding it was easier at the moment, rather than explaining his relationship with Morgana. "Like I said, meet me at Lucina's room as soon as you're ready!" And with that, he dashed off, leaving the confused and worried Severa to slam her door shut and get ready.

Morgan knew that getting Lucina involved could be risky. She could decide to tell Exalt Chrom rather than help him, after all. However, despite what happened to her in the memory he saw (gods, he felt sick just remembering it), he felt that Lucina could possibly help snap Morgana out of whatever control she was under. Her room was apart from most other rooms, closer to Chrom's due to her status as a member of the royal bloodline. He just had to hope Chrom wouldn't also be woken up as he pounded on Lucina's door just as loudly as he did to Severa's, if not even louder.

Lucina emerged from her room somehow faster and more prepared than Severa, in her normal clothes with a sword pointed at Morgan. Once she recognized him, she put it down, sighing in relief but also frustration from being woken up so abruptly. "Morgan!? What are you doing!?" Morgan tried to explain the situation, telling her how the Fell Dragon could potentially be revived if they didn't hurry. Lucina gasped, seeing that Morgan was fully serious. "Grima!? But if it were to be revived, it would need…" She gasped, looking down the hall. "The Fire Emblem! We have to get to my father's study. That's where he's hidden it!" She ran down the hall, not even bothering to wait for Morgan. Thankfully, Morgan spotted Severa running towards them and followed Lucina, glad he wouldn't have to wait behind for the redhead.

* * *

Morgana was growing weak. The ritual was meant to be performed in a specific location with multiple participants, and here she was doing it alone in a hidden chamber in the Ylissean palace. Of course, she felt no desire to stop, despite her breathing growing more ragged and her skin growing paler, giving her a sickly look. Whatever it took to revive the Fell Dragon, she needed to do. And so, she continued, chanting every ancient word that was required, channeling all of her magical energy and the strength of the Fell blood running through her veins to power the ritual. She was growing dizzier by the second. Barely conscious, white as a ghost, she spoke the last word of the ritual. Silence. Had she performed it wrong? A mistake, somewhere? Had she failed the task required of her? Her answer came quickly as a familiar purple light began to glow around her mother's body. The light was cold, harsh, yet comforting. So comforting…

Morgana found herself falling over, losing consciousness as the purple glow strengthened, turning into raging purple flames, surrounding and engulfing Robin's body. Robin's eyes opened, glowing an ethereal purple as she stood up, looking down upon the unconscious girl. As she pondered just what to do with her, she saw someone out of the corner of her eye, making her change her focus. She looked over to the entrance to the chamber and saw Chrom, holding Falchion.

"Gods, I was too late…" Chrom lamented, his voice quiet. Despite his distress, his hand did not waver as he held up his blade. The woman scoffed, then began to laugh. She laughed harder and harder, nearly buckling over, clearly finding the situation fantastically amusing.

"Oh, this has to be one of the luckiest days I've ever had! That really means a lot, when you're as old as I am." The woman said, a vicious bite to her voice. "It feels good to finally be in a body again. Well, I guess the proper term would be in  _control_  of a body. After all, the first time this ritual was attempted with Robin, I may not have gained control, but I was properly bound to her body. Of course, she never told you that, did she?" A sadistic grin formed on her face. "She was always terrified of what you might have done to her and her child if you knew the truth."

"I knew," Chrom said simply. Grima's triumphant expression broke as an enraged shock replaced it. "As much as Robin likes to think I'm not the sharpest blade, I figured that out years ago. I had a suspicion that girl was up to something." He said, looking down at Morgana. "When I found two of my guards dead, I knew what was happening."

"But why!? Why not tell her that you knew!?" Grima shouted, furious. Purple flames danced in the palms of her hands before being snuffed out as she curled her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her skin.

"I wanted her to feel safe. I wanted her to believe there was no chance any harm would befall her. She did, didn't she?" Chrom asked, but it was clear by his tone that he knew he was right. "She may have feared the possibility of me finding out, but she felt safe thinking that I didn't. As long as it helped her feel at peace, then my decision was justified." He paused. "Robin, if you still linger, even if it's just a trace, know this. I will free you." With that, Chrom charged at the Fell Dragon.

"You pathetic, disgusting, WORM!" Grima screamed, grabbing her Levin Sword and charging at the Exalt. Blades clashed against eachother, with Chrom shifting his slightly, sliding it against the cragged Levin Sword and towards Grima's gut. It connected, but just barely, tearing into her blouse and scratching her gut, causing her to curse loudly as she jumped away, feeling the sting of the legendary blade. "DAMN YOU!" She charged at him once again, swinging the sword as she ran, sending the lightning contained within it directly at Chrom. He held Falchion up in front of him, sliding back as the blade absorbed most of the impact. Grima closed the gap while he recovered, swinging diagonally to throw him off, cutting into his arm.

Chrom clenched his teeth, swinging Falchion to drive her off, using the new distance created to readjust his balance. Grima quickly ran right back at him, fiercely swinging her blade once again, only for it to be parried away by Falchion. Chrom tried to follow up with a thrust but was blown back by a blast of purple flame from Grima's left hand. Chrom's cape was slightly singed, but otherwise, his armor had absorbed the blow. "There is NOTHING left of her!" Grima screeched as she sent another blast of lightning at Chrom, quickly following it with another blast of dark fire. Chrom managed to absorb the lightning and barely deflected the fire, sending it flying to the ceiling of the chamber where it left a crater, stone falling down and hitting the cold floor. Chrom pushed his foot hard against the stone floor, moving into a sprint. He jumped, stabbing down at Grima who held her Levin Sword sideways, her immense strength and skill allowing her to catch the tip of his Falchion in a crag of the sword, twisting it and sending Chrom to the ground.

"Robin! Fight her, fight her control! I know you can fend her off!" Chrom shouted as Grima walked towards him. The Fell Dragon chuckled mercilessly, swinging down at the Exalt. Chrom rolled to the side, thrusting Falchion and managing to deal a deep cut to Grima's thigh. She hissed in pain and fury, stepping back to avoid a follow-up attack as she brought a hand down to her wound, bringing it back up to find her hand bloody.

As Chrom stood back up and Grima readied to charge again, she suddenly let out a pained gasp, beginning to wobble and threaten to lose her balance. Chrom readied his blade, but strangely enough, Grima fell onto her knees, her breathing heavy and erratic. Chrom kept his distance, watching as the flames around her began to soften. Then, she looked up, and the purple glow in her eyes was gone, replaced with a look of fear. Chrom recognized those eyes.

"Chrom…" The woman spoke, coughing blood onto the stone floor. "Chrom, please, end me." Chrom's eyes widened as he understood that Grima was no longer the one talking. "Please! It's taking every ounce of me to fight her off, you need to kill me!" She screamed, tears forming over her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

"Robin, I can save you, I know I can!" Chrom insisted as he watched Robin beg. She shook her head frantically, her voice growing increasingly desperate as time went on.

"CHROM!" She screamed, startling the Exalt. "You can't…save me…" She hacked and coughed yet again, more blood speckling against the stone floor. "All you can do is kill me! I'm begging you!" She looked down at the ground, holding her stomach. "I don't wanna be trapped by her. That fate is worse than death. You have to finish me off, now! Not just for the world, but for my sake." Chrom looked at her, his determination wavering for the first time. Robin's determination had never seemed more solid. " _Please._ " She whispered. She could feel Grima fighting like a wild animal to regain control, tearing and clawing at her mind.

Chrom approached Robin, slowly raising Falchion. For the first time, his hands had begun to shake. Robin looked up at him, grateful. "Tell Morgan that I…"

* * *

Morgan, Severa, and Lucina rushed down the dark stone stairway, unsure of how long it had been going on for. None of them spoke, knowing that was wasted breath that could be used to help them go faster. They couldn't waste any time, no matter what any of them wanted to say at the moment. The light beginning to grow stronger in the distance was the last piece of hope they needed to maintain their full sprint to the end. Morgan held his Arcfire tome tight as Severa and Lucina unsheathed their swords, nearing the bottom of the stairway. Finally, they reached the bottom. Morgan took in the sight in front of him. Morgana laid face-down on the floor, her body seemingly motionless. The Fire Emblem laid next to her, glowing magnificently as always. Chrom stood in front of Robin, who was kneeling. She was saying something, but Morgan couldn't make out what. Just as he opened his mouth to call out for her, purple flames ignited around her body, accompanied by the sound of metal tearing through flesh.

The tip of a Levin Sword jutted out from Chrom's back. He tried to stay standing, his legs quivering and shaking. The blade twisted and turned, and Chrom fell onto his back, the rest of the blade sticking out and upwards over his chest. His face turned, seeing the three in the doorway. He reached out a weak hand to the figure of his daughter, holding it for as long as he could. He breathed out, his hand falling to the floor. Lucina stared in horror at the sight of her father, lying motionless, his eyes open. She let out a scream, running to him in spite of the Fell Dragon standing up close by, grabbing the handle of the Levin Sword and mercilessly yanking it out of his chest. As Lucina threw herself down to the ground beside him, Grima chuckled. Morgan tried to move, but his legs wouldn't let him, the terror in them spreading to the rest of his body. Grima walked away from the corpse of the Exalt and towards Morgana, who had begun to awaken. "You have done magnificently," Grima said to the girl as she struggled to her feet, gagging and gasping.

"What…what did I…" Morgana spoke softly, turning and gazing in dread at the sight in front of her. "No, no I…I didn't, I…" Morgana's whole body shook as her legs gave in, the girl slumping to her knees. She couldn't get up, her whole body still drained and weakened.

"The energy you poured into that ritual was so…enlightening," Grima spoke as Lucina sobbed behind her. "That burning, raw desire to fulfill the Fell Dragon's wish. The mark of a true Grimleal." Morgana gasped, and then screamed, the memories of what she had just done, what she had done to Lucina, all coming to her. She kept screaming, holding her head in her hands. Grima gave a soft smile. "Do not worry. You may think that there is no place for you anymore, but you are mistaken." She gently grabbed Morgana's face, lifting her chin up so their eyes made contact. "I will give you this choice. Come to the great hall, where I will be waiting, if you wish to stay at my side. I will accept you. I will give you a home." Before Morgan could stop her, Severa charged at the Fell Dragon, swinging her blade with a ferocity Morgan had never seen. Without even turning around, Grima held a hand out towards the girl, a blast of purple flame sending her flying to the wall, hitting it and slumping down, unconscious. Just like that, the Fell Dragon seemed to vanish into flame, leaving them alone.

Morgan finally found the strength to run, kneeling down to Morgana's side as she sobbed. "Hey, hey, listen to me, it's alright, it's okay!" Morgan tried to assure as his voice cracked. Morgana had just killed his mother. She brought the Fell Dragon back into this world. She didn't want this to happen, he knew that. He couldn't blame her; as much as he wanted to scream at her, he couldn't. She was the only family he had left. "It's not your fault, it's not your fault…" He whispered to the inconsolable girl.

"Morgan. Move." Lucina spoke from behind Morgan. He stood up and turned around, seeing Lucina standing straight, her clothes stained with her father's blood, holding Falchion. The weapon glowed in her hand as she pointed it directly at her friend. Morgan knew fully well what she intended to do with the blade.

"It's not her fault, Lucina! She was being controlled, she didn't want any of this to happen!" Morgan tried to argue, only for Lucina's blade to be pushed forward until it was inches away from his throat.

"She betrayed Ylisse. She betrayed my father. She betrayed your mother. She betrayed all of us, and for all we know, she's still under Grima's control. I'm telling you this one, last, time.  _Move._ " The two stood facing eachother, silent.

"No," Morgan said, his voice full of determination. And with that, Lucina swung. Morgan stepped back, narrowly avoiding her blade as he opened his tome and cast an Arcfire, the blast of flame flying at the princess. She tried to jump to the side and out of the way but was hit by part of it, sending her flying back. Morgan turned and faced Morgana, trying to pull her up from the ground. "We have to go, now!" He commanded, but she did not move. Morgan heard Lucina running up behind him and let his sister's arm go, grabbing the Levin Sword that Grima had left, swinging it up just in time to barely deflect Lucina's blow.

The princess wasted no time, swinging at Morgan again. He ducked under the swing, slashing at her legs. He managed to cut one of her legs, causing her to gasp in pain. She quickly kneed Morgan in the face with her other leg, sending him to the ground. She ran over to him, swinging Falchion down towards him. He barely missed it, rolling to the side, but Lucina was quick and fierce, swinging yet again. He kept rolling and turning, avoiding most of the strikes, with the occasional blow glancing against his skin, cutting it and sending pain spiking through his body. He had experienced the wound of a blade before, but the blood that flowed through his veins reacted harshly to the divine weapon, amplifying it tenfold. Lucina managed to land a more accurate blow, cutting his side and leaving him screaming and writhing in pain, his breathing ragged as he tried to recover. Lucina readied her blade for a final strike, and swung.

With a powerful swing, Morgana knocked Falchion out of Lucina's hands with her axe, sending it skidding across the floor. Lucina looked over to the now fiercely determined girl as Morgana swung again, Lucina leaping away to avoid her deadly axe. "STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" She screamed as Lucina recovered from her impromptu leap, her body tensing as the revelation hit her.

Morgan scrambled to his feet, readying his Levin Sword in his right hand and his Arcifre tome in his other as Morgana held her massive axe in both hands, ready to deliver another crushing blow. Lucina cursed under her breath as she realized how outmatched she was.

"FINE THEN!" Lucina screamed furiously. "Go back to your sick god, both of you! You're nothing but traitors! I swear on my father that I'll kill both of you!" Morgan stood there, the consequence of what had happened finally settling in him as he noticed Severa now awake, having tried to get up, but was now staring at Morgan with a look of betrayal. Morgan flinched at the look but didn't wait for another second, tossing his Arcfire tome and grabbing Morgana's satchel, slinging it over his shoulder and grabbing his sister's sleeve, running to the stairway as he pulled her along. Morgana quickly matched his pace as they both ran up the stairway. They both were digesting what had just happened, and it didn't take long for them to realize what was going to happen. If they stayed, Lucina would ensure they would be killed or taken captive. If they tried to escape, they'd have every soldier in the castle coming down on them. There was only one way out.

The doors to the great hall burst open, with Morgan and his sister dashing in. In the center of the hall was the Fell Dragon, purple flames crackling around her feet. Her cold, uncaring face formed a warm, loving smile as the siblings approached, slowing down. "I expected Morgana to come to my side, but you as well? I'm so proud of you, my son." Morgan looked at the creature in his mother's body, feeling nothing but disgust. She knew what she had done. She had spoken just the right words to turn Lucina against them both, to drive them into a corner with only one way out. Her. But what other option did they have? Where else could they go?

Grima beckoned them closer, the purple flames growing brighter and stronger, threatening to engulf her. The siblings approached, standing right in front of her. The flames grew around them, glowing as bright as the sun. Just like that, the flames had vanished, and the three inside of them vanished as well.

* * *

Blood dripped from Lucina's leg as she limped into her room. She had instructed Severa to alter the royal guards, which the girl hesitantly set off to do. Lucina needed to be alone for this. She roughly opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out a letter, sealed with wax marked with the Brand of the Exalt. She tore the envelope open, pulling the letter from within. She turned it over, scanning through its contents.

_Lucina,_

_I wish I had the strength to tell you this myself. As much as this letter was a test for you, it was also an opportunity for me to avoid the shame I know you would have for me. I just hope you can one day forgive me. I'm not sure I'll be able to truly forgive myself. I'm sorry._

_Morgan is your brother._


	11. Good Luck

Young, growing trees had begun to bear their leaves after a harsh winter left them barren. Of course, no matter how harsh the winter, they were guaranteed to survive, thanks to the diligence that the palace staff had in maintaining them. Everything about the garden was pristine, albeit still young. The rose bushes that adorned the perimeter, the pool of water housing some freshwater fish, the grave sitting in the center. From Lucina's perspective, a year was no time at all. Everything here was still young. She stood in front of the headstone, no larger or more decadent than what you would find in most graveyards. The design of the garden may have been out of her control, but when granted permission to choose the headstone, she knew it couldn't be fancy. That's not what he would've wanted.

Footsteps interrupted Lucina's thought, but she didn't turn her head away from the grave, standing still. Her mother's voice came from behind, moving to her side. "Cynthia didn't want to come." Sumia spoke softly, standing next to her daughter. "I tried to convince her, but…" Sumia paused, taking a shaky breath. "She refused to even unlock her bedroom door." Lucina wasn't surprised. Cynthia had taken their loss the hardest, becoming a different person. She never seemed excited about anything. If anyone tried to console her, or to get close to her, she would lash out, sometimes violently. She still ate, drank and slept, so after a year of her behavior, many had learned just to leave her be. Lucina knew she wasn't helping with her sister's state, refusing to share the contents of the letter Chrom had given her, despite her promise beforehand. However, she knew it was for the best. She had burnt the letter soon after reading it. The only other living being who Lucina was sure knew the information was trapped in her own body by the Fell Dragon, if not wiped away entirely. She wondered if Morgan knew. She had figured out that the girl who claimed to be his sister was merely another version of himself; not many dots needed connecting to reach that conclusion. Still, if Morgan was hiding something like that from her, it was in no way out of the realm of possibility for him to be aware of their own relationship.

The mother and daughter remained there for a while, Sumia's attempts at conversation ending with Lucina's silence. Lucina knew her silence was only hurting her mother further, but she couldn't bring herself to speak to her. Not there, not then. After some time, Sumia left without a word, understanding Lucina had no intention of speaking about her father. Lucina remained, staring at her father's grave with tears welling in her eyes. Why did he betray her mother like that? Why did he and Robin lie about it? Was it shame, or perhaps fear? Why did he let her and Cynthia grow up with Morgan, thinking he was merely a friend and not a brother? She wanted to despise him for keeping it from her, but she couldn't bring herself to. Not after everything that had happened.

"Lucina." The princess recognized the voice behind her, but again did not move. "Lucina." The voice spoke again, more urgently. "We need to talk." Lucina relented, turning to face her aunt. Lissa's hair was untied, hanging down below her shoulders. Her dress, a usual sunflower yellow, lacked the metal caging underneath that she wore during her time in the Shepherds. Peace times didn't require that kind of protection. Lucina looked into her aunt's eyes, and Lissa looked back. "Before you ask; no, it's not time to reveal the truth of that night. If we were to claim the Fell Dragon killed Chrom, then…" Lissa didn't need to answer. Lucina had already been told of all the possible consequences. Doubt from the people, unwilling to start another crusade with the memory of the travesty her grandfather committed with his holy war against Plegia. And with the Fell Dragon essentially vanquished in the public eye, convincing them of its return would be near-impossible.

Lissa cleared her throat. "Anyways. It's about our relations with Valm. More specifically, Chon'sin. You remember your lessons on it?" Being trained in diplomacy meant Lucina's knowledge on Chon'sin was extensive. After the Valmese war, Chon'sin was offered an immense amount of land, mostly territory formerly occupied by Walhart the Conqueror. However, queen Say'ri accepted none of it, instead giving it to other Valmese nations. As a result, Chon'sin gained incredible diplomatic pull across Valm, and quickly became the social, cultural, and diplomatic center of the continent. An enemy of Chon'sin was an enemy of Valm. "Queen Say'ri is hosting a performing arts festival, and Olivia has been invited as one of the lead performers." Something like that was expected. Olivia was quite possibly the most famous performer alive.

"So, you want me to protect her? Serve as a bodyguard?" Lucina asked. The idea of it sounded like nothing more than a distraction. She had no desire to spend time in what amounted to a diplomatic meeting, even if she was to inherit the title of Exalt.

Lissa shook her head. "No. For the duration of the event, the palace will have a no weapon policy, with only royal guards and queen Say'ri allowed to wield any sort of weapon, outside of designated training and sparring areas. For anyone to even attempt an attack would be political suicide. You will be going to maintain diplomatic relations with Chon'sin. With Chrom gone, Ylisse has been silent to its allies as it recovers. We aren't in a particularly good light currently, especially since our story is that he was struck down by an assassin. Our allies are losing faith. By going to the festival, you can reaffirm our political presence in Valm's eyes." Lucina was more understanding when Lissa explained, but still found herself hesitant of the idea. Lissa noticed this. "Also, we've heard rumors that an ambassador from Plegia will be present."

Lucina finally had a reason to go that mattered to her. Plegia was the only place the Fell Dragon could be hiding in. A country founded for the sole purpose of following Grima would have no issue following its commands whilst it remained in the shadows. And wherever Grima was, Morgan and Morgana could be as well. She resisted the rage attempting to burn its way into her. A year of contemplation had cooled her desire for vengeance. What she wanted was answers.

* * *

"How many times have I told you not to wantonly pick flowers from the royal garden!?" A butler exclaimed, absolutely livid at what he had seen.

"I dunno, I stopped paying attention once I realized you weren't gonna shut up about it." Responded a girl with a spirit as fiery red as her hair. The butler stammered furiously, speaking about respecting palace property. "Respect? Piss off with that. I should just—"

Lucina stepped into the garden, arms crossed as she interrupted her friend. "Severa." The redhead and the butler both turned to face the princess, both clearly expecting Lucina to back them up in their argument. Instead, Lucina chastised them both. She turned to the butler. "You. It's a flower, not a priceless artifact." She turned to Severa. "And you. If you want a flower, buy one. You certainly don't lack the funds." The butler almost immediately softened up upon hearing Lucina, acting all modest and kind as he shrunk away. Severa meanwhile simply huffed, crossing her own arms.

"So much for backing up a friend." Severa grumbled. "What do you want, anyways? I'm not in the mood to help you with anything, so if that's what you want, go away." She inspected the white rose she had plucked, holding it rather carefully.

"Actually, I was suspecting you might say something like that." Lucina smiled softly. Not much brought her comfort recently, but she could always depend on Severa, even if it was to be a total jerk. The two had grown closer since that night, depending on eachother to vent and grieve. Lucina would never have imagined it if she had been told beforehand, but she considered Severa to be her best friend. "I want you to attend a festival with me in Chon'sin. It's all about the performing arts, and holds the special honor of being one that won't have Inigo pestering us." That got a chuckle out of the redhead. Lucina paused. "And it's possible we could learn something about what happened to them." The garden was silent, aside from the chirping of a few birds.

"No." Severa answered. This surprised Lucina. She knew that the girl would take some convincing, but she had assumed she would've changed her mind by this point. "Don't try to change my mind." Severa quickly followed up before Lucina could respond. "You're still looking to the past. I've…" Severa paused, her eyes darting away. "I've been trying to look ahead. That's what we need to be focusing on." Lucina opened her mouth to speak, only for Severa to interrupt her once again. "Tell me this, no lies. Do you still hate them?"

Silence followed. Severa's gaze was piercing, and Lucina couldn't help but look away. Guilt began to fill her, combining with that white-hot rage that always tried to bubble up whenever she thought about them. She had learned to keep it under control after a while, but even then, as much as she had tried to view them objectively, to try and understand them, she just couldn't. Not with how little she knew. "Yes. I despise them." Lucina answered, her hands balling into fists. "But if I can just find them, talk to them, get answers…maybe I could learn to forgive them. I want to forgive them." Her voice was shaky.

Severa shook her head. "No, you don't." And with that, she walked away, leaving the princess alone.

* * *

Severa approached the bedroom door, bringing a hand up to the handle. However, she stopped, putting one hand on her other, attempting to stop the tremors. She took a deep breath and grabbed the handle, opening the door and walking inside. The curtains were open, allowing the midday sun to shine in and illuminate the bed her mother laid on. She approached Cordelia, stopping to grab a white rose from her satchel, setting it on her mother's nightstand next to a half-dozen other flowers of various species. Her mother smiled weakly at her. "Hello." She spoke softly, looking at Severa as the girl sat down on a chair next to the bed. "Here to remind me how stupid I was? I think I have the speech memorized by this point." She joked, still maintaining her smile. All Severa could muster was a weak half-smile in return.

"I'll say it anyways, just so you don't forget it." Severa spoke, trying to keep her voice from cracking. "You are the biggest dunce I've ever met mom, and it's amazing I ever went anywhere with you as a mother. It's just like you to charge at a group of brigands, thinking you could take them head on. You even saw those archers, but you thought you could take them on anyways." Severa's hands began to shake. "And only you would fly that high, because you were miss perfect, thinking you'd be able to use it to your advantage. And—" She choked on her own words, a tear streaming down her face. Severa tried to speak but found herself unable to finish her speech for the first time in weeks.

"And when my Pegasus fell, I fell with it." Cordelia finished. She truly had memorized the whole thing. "Leaving my legs crushed when I hit the ground. Now, because I was such an idiot, I can't fight, let alone walk. I truly am the biggest dung-for-brains to ever live." Cordelia's voice was so soft, so calm, despite everything she had gone through. Severa couldn't stop herself from sobbing, leaning her head down into her hands. "But I'm not dead, so maybe there's still hope." Cordelia went quiet, letting Severa sob as long as she needed. A few minutes later, the girl finally lifted her head up, wiping her tears away from her red face. Cordelia was still smiling. "Lucina talked to me earlier. She said she had invited you to come with her to a festival to help her with a task, but that you declined."

Severa nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. So what? She can enjoy the damn festival without me." She spoke sharply, still wiping her tears away.

"She said you didn't wanna come because of Morgan." Cordelia said. Severa went quiet. There weren't many people she wasn't prepared to punch in the mouth if they spoke his name. Lucina and her mother were two of them. "Because you might learn something about him." More silence. Severa was still shaking. "Do you still love him?" Cordelia asked quietly. Severa's eyes widened at the question. Her mother didn't know what had really happened that night. She and most people believed that Robin had gone missing, and Morgan and Morgana had ran away to search for her. She would never understand how Severa truly felt about them both. About him. Even still…

"Yes."

"Then you should go."

* * *

The ports of Regna Ferox were absurdly cold, especially to a Ylissean like Lucina. However, they were the safest way to reach Chon'sin, so she had no real choice in the matter. Despite the cold, the skies were clear, meaning there was no snow on the ground. She stepped off the dock and onto the transport ship that would be taking her to Valm, her hand going down to her side and feeling Falchion's handles the blade sheathed. Even after dozens upon dozens of hours training with the Blade, it still felt foreign to her, like she wasn't supposed to wield it; a result of the doubts that still clouded her mind.

"The weather here sucks." Severa commented bluntly, interrupting Lucina's train of thought. "I thought I was gonna have to amputate a limb from frostbite." Of course, it certainly wasn't that cold, but Lucina understood Severa's frustration.

"It should warm up after a day at sea, when we head south." Lucina spoke, turning her head and smiling at her friend. As the ship began to leave the dock, Lucina looked up, her face brightening as she nudged Severa and pointed up at the sky. "Look!" She pointed at a bird flying above the vessel.

"Wow, a bird. Well now that I've seen that, my whole day has improved." Severa remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Lucina sighed in frustration.

"No, not just any bird. An albatross." Lucina clarified, though Severa was still unimpressed. "An albatross is apparently a sign of good luck for sailers. If an albatross is seen above your vessel, it means that you'll make it to your destination. It's a good luck charm, of sorts." She explained, finally catching Severa's interest. The redhead chuckled, looking up at the bird as the ship sailed further away from shore.

"Good luck, huh…"

* * *

The trip had been surprisingly uneventful. Lucina had heard stories of pirates sailing the waters to Valm, but thankfully the ship hadn't run into any. She couldn't imagine how bad it would've been; even if they had fought the pirates off, it would delay their arrival greatly. After they landed, it was just a few days of traveling to reach Chon'sin. Lucina had asked at one point why Olivia wasn't with them, being told that the dancer had already arrived a few days prior, in order to have more time to prepare for the festival and her performance.

Seeing Chon'sin depicted in historical text, poems and paintings was one thing; seeing it in the flesh was another entirely. Lucina doubted she had ever seen such a beautiful place in her life, and though Severa would likely have never admitted it out loud, she would have to agree. For one, Chon'sin architecture seemed to be focused more on beauty, yet that beauty surprisingly allowed for extra functionality. Lucina nearly gasped when she saw a citizen slide a door open and closed, having never even thought of something like that. There were a vast array of meals and fruits and vegetables that she had never heard of, most of which she was only able to look at as she headed to the Chon'sin royal palace. Most beautiful of all, however, were the cherry trees. Lucina had seen numerous paintings depicting them, some by queen Say'ri herself. However, nothing could do them justice. Lining the streets were trees bearing bright pink blossoms, gently drifting down to the streets below, the sun shining through the canopies. It was absolutely gorgeous, and Lucina had a hard time taking her eyes off of it.

The main palace was like something out of a storybook, two pagodas towering high on the sides of a wider main building. As Lucina and Severa were led inside by palace guards, a representative of Say'ri made his presence known, explaining to them that the queen was unavailable to meet them personally at the moment, instead making sure the festival was still on schedule. He informed them that the pagodas were what housed the various rooms, dining areas and training grounds, as well as other various facilities. The main building was mainly housing the throne room and the rooms for the royal family, that being queen Say'ri, her husband, and their daughter. Lucina had only then realized that she knew next to nothing about the princess of Chon'sin, since she had never met her, and all she had learned was from history books written when the girl must have been only a few years old.

"Princess Sao'lin is likely in her favorite training ground. I've heard she's recently grown rather fond of a few visitors here for the festival, and spars with them often." The representative explained as they headed to the western pagoda. "Would you like to meet her?" He asked, receiving a nod from Lucina and a dismissive head turn from Severa. He walked the two over to one of the rooms on the bottom floor located at the side of the building, the sliding doors leading to the outside currently open, allowing the sun and breeze to rush in. The representative stopped at the doorway inside, looking inside just as a girl who could only be the princess walked backwards into view in a battle stance.

The girl had long, black hair tied into a ponytail behind her, keeping her hair out of her pale face and dark eyes. She wore a white breastplate over a baggy, black shirt, the size of it especially prominent on her sleeves. Her pants were equally large, though that allowed her to hide the protective plating underneath that Lucina and Severa were unaware of. A cape colored a deep purple on the outside with a gentler white on the inside was tied around her by a large purple bow. At her side hung the sheathe for the weapon she currently held with both hands; an interesting stance, considering Chon'sin warriors were known for wielding two blades. She made slow steps backwards, assuming a defensive stance as her left foot shifted to the side behind her right, prepping her to hold her ground.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The princess asked to her opponent, yet unseen by Lucina and Severa, her accent surprisingly unlike that of many Chon'sin natives Lucina had met. She sounded, for lack of a better description, more like a Ylissean girl than a Chon'sin princess. "It's two to one, right? You told me this would be an easy battle. That is, unless you're already thinking of giving up?" Her eyes flashed as one of her opponents charged, a wild grin forming. The opponent slashed, a dark blur from Lucina's view. Despite their speed, the princess parried the attack, spinning with her left foot to face her opponent, maintaining her defensive stance. "You Plegian types really don't understand a thing about grace in combat." She joked, catching Lucina's attention. Did she just say—

Before Lucina could fully register the information that she had just heard, the second opponent struck, wielding an axe in their right hand. The princess shot out her left foot in a solid kick, landing the bow square in the opponent's stomach, causing them to stumble back. With both opponents in full view, both girls' eyes widened as they realized just who they were. Dark black hair with a hint of purple. Dark, slightly gray eyes. The exact same cloak being worn by both.

"Is that really all you've got, Morgan? I thought you and your sister were tougher than this. I never expected you two to be easier to face combined than alone." The princess taunted, keeping her eyes on the boy in front of her, only occasionally glancing to the girl behind her.

"Don't get so cocky Sao'lin. Otherwise you'll lose concentration." Morgan warned, giving a familiar grin to the girl behind his opponent.

"And losing concentration means giving us an opening." Morgana spoke, holding her axe at the ready, only needing one hand to hold it steady.

"How about you both shut up and stop giving your opponent tips?" Sao'lin laughed. "It'll just give me a—" And with that, the two charged at her. Sao'lin jumped to the side, holding her blade at the ready as the two changed directions to compensate for her new location, both now in front of her. Morgan was the first to attack, wielding a simple steel sword in his right hand as he struck diagonally. Sao'lin easily blocked the hit, only for Morgana to follow up almost immediately with an axe strike of her own. Sao'lin pushed Morgan back with her blade, using the force to parry back Morgana's strike, albeit leaving her unbalanced. Morgan flipped his sword and pushed the hilt into Sao'lin's gut, knocking the air out of her and Morgana followed with a sweeping kick, knocking the girl off her feet and onto the floor.

Sao'lin groaned as she rubbed her hips, having landed right on them. "Those were good tactics. Very similar to my own. You two have been learning, haven't you?" She asked with a bright smile, the siblings smiling back as Morgan held out a gloved hand. The princess took it, getting up with his help as she dusted herself off. "I knew there was a reason you two caught my eye when you arrived." Now facing towards Lucina and Severa, Sao'lin smiled even brighter. "I recognize that brand in your eye! You must be princess Lucina!" As she waked past the siblings, they slowly turned to face the blue-haired girl and her redhead companion.

Morgana seemed almost terrified, seeming to shrink behind her brother as her body trembled, her hands barely holding onto the axe in her hand. Morgan meanwhile seemed conflicted, standing tall in front of Morgana as if to protect her. And something else visible in his face…guilt? Or something different? Sao'lin walked right up to Lucina and grabbed her hand, shaking it. "Sao'lin, daughter to Say'ri and heir to the Chon'sin throne." She looked over to the representative who had patiently stood there. "You can go, I'll give them the rest of the tour." The man nodded quietly, walking away as Sao'lin turned back to face Lucina. "It's so great to finally meet you. When I was little, and your father would visit my mother, he would tell us about you. You always seemed like someone who I would get along with just fine!" The princess was oblivious to the discomfort present from both parties. "The two who just handed my rear to me on a silver platter are Morgan and Morgana, representatives from Plegia. I'm sure you'll become quick friends!" She exclaimed before becoming confused, finally noticing the cold response Lucina and Severa were giving. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"We've, ah…" Lucina spoke, unable to finish her sentence. She could feel anger building up inside her as she desperately tried to calm herself down, finally able to finish her answer.

"Already met."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JMP3 continues to be my hero for leaving a review on every chapter. You don't get readers like that every day.


	12. It's Really That Simple

"We've, ah, already met." Lucina spoke nervously, not taking her eyes off the "siblings" in front of her. Princess Sao'lin tilted her head slightly out of confusion, looking at Lucina with an interested gaze.

"Oh, really? I had no idea." As Sao'lin spoke, Severa began to walk forwards. "So how do you guys know eachother?" She asked, her gaze turning to the redhead as she approached Morgan. She walked right in front of him, her gaze drilling holes in his eyes. By this point, everybody in the room was looking at Severa and Morgan, the room going silent as she stared at him. Then, just as it seemed she was going to do nothing at all, she delivered a swift slap to the face to the boy, Morgan flinching as he felt the sting, his face recoiling back. Before Sao'lin could get involved, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him against a wall, making him drop the sword he was holding onto.

"You sniveling, cowardly little—" Severa's insult was cut off as she felt the cold blade of an axe just barely press against her neck, gentle enough to avoid drawing blood. She went stiff, her eyes turning to look at Morgana, who was holding the axe against her throat with a look on her face that reminded Severa of an animal trapped in a corner.

"Get away from him, right now," Morgana commanded. Though her voice was shaky, her hands remained still, and it was clear that the slightest movement would not end well for Severa. Just as Severa was about to speak, the axe was quickly and gracefully snatched from Morgana's hand by Sao'lin. The princess looked absolutely furious as she turned to face the group.

"Listen to me right now, and listen to me well. It's clear you four have a history, and I won't pry into the specifics. However, you will  _not_  raise weapons against eachother for any reason other than training and sparring. If I see this happen again, you will be expelled from the festival and Chon'sin, immediately. This is your  _only_  warning." It was like a switch had been flipped, turning the kind and easygoing princess into a fierce ruler. "Do I make myself clear?" She asked.

"Yes, we understand." Morgan quickly responded, speaking calmly as he slipped out of Severa's grip. "We offer our most sincere apologies for this misunderstanding." He grabbed Morgana's hand and guided her away, exiting the training grounds. Lucina watched them leave, unsure how to respond to what had just happened. Sao'lin's gaze moved back to Severa, giving a fierce glare to rival the redhead's own, forcing her to look away.

"Yeah, whatever. Fine." Severa responded, walking away from Sao'lin and over to Lucina. Sao'lin sighed, running her hand through her hair as she calmed down, approaching the two girls.

"I'm sorry about that, but I take things like that very seriously. This festival is really important to me, and I refuse to let something like that happen, regardless of circumstances." Sao'lin explained, reverting to her usual self. Lucina opened her mouth, only for Sao'lin to hold a finger up. "I really don't want to know why you have such a grudge against those two. If they're untrustworthy, that will be revealed in due time. Until then, perhaps we should finish your tour?" She suggested, walking past the two girls and beckoning them to follow her. Of course, their thoughts were still in disarray.

Lucina was still unsure if she had truly just witnessed Morgan and Morgana, in the flesh, right in front of her. Sao'lin had said they were Plegian, and that man who had taken them to the training grounds mentioned they were ambassadors. What on Earth were Morgan and Morgana doing in the Chon'sin royal palace, claiming to be Plegian ambassadors? Were they there to carry out some sort of task for the Fell Dragon? That was the most likely possibility, but Lucina knew that nothing was out of the question. Those two were too predictable for her to rely on guessing when trying to figure out their plans. As Sao'lin continued their tour, trying to put the encounter behind them, Lucina found she had a hard time paying attention, occasionally glancing behind her to see if the two were following them.

Later that day, Lucina still couldn't get the two out of her head. They were somewhere inside the palace, up to something possibly dangerous, and her own suspicions only grew the more she thought about it. She was laying down in her room, finding that instead of a bed, she was provided a mat and blanket on the floor. This, Sao'lin explained, was simply part of Chon'sin culture, and something which all guests were given. Lucina had to admit, it was surprisingly comfortable. Chon'sin seemed to have really dug its own cultural niche. As Lucina stared up at the ceiling, her door was opened unceremoniously by Severa. "J-jeez, can't you at least knock!?" Lucina shouted, springing up to a sitting position, having been startled by the girl.

Severa didn't seem to particularly care too much about Lucina's shock. "Just letting you know I'm heading out to the city to do some shopping. I already talked to some palace official who exchanged my money for their own currency, so I'm prepared." She explained. "I wanted to know if you were up for coming with me."

"Oh, um…" Lucina paused, thinking about it. "Sorry, Severa, I think I'll stay here. Still gotta explore the palace and all that." Severa seemed disappointed, but the look only lasted a split second, quickly being replaced by her usual annoyed expression.

"Right, sorry for wasting your time," Severa spoke, her voice doing a much poorer job at hiding her disappointment. As she turned around, grabbing the door to slide it shut, Lucina quickly spoke.

"Severa, are you gonna be…okay?" Lucina asked, causing the redhead to turn around, clearly confused. "I mean, with those two being here. I'm not exactly confident on how I'm feeling right now, and I was just wondering…" Lucina cursed herself, thinking she was sounding far too awkward about the whole thing. It was likely off-putting to her friend. However, to her surprise and relief, the girl grinned.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," Severa answered confidently. "It's not like I care about those idiots anyways. They made their choice, I made mine. It's really that simple." She closed the door, leaving Lucina alone. Lucina was certainly glad that her friend seemed so confident, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that Severa wasn't being entirely truthful about how she felt.

* * *

As Severa entered the market square in Chon'sin's capital, she felt as if a switch had flipped itself, getting rid of all her worries and replacing them with the need to buy as much as she possibly could. Pots, dresses, accessories, more pots, that cute triangle-shaped thing she saw in the window that not even the shopkeeper knew the function of, but damnit if she wouldn't buy it regardless! She felt like some storybook criminal, carrying a burlap sack over her shoulder that was stuffed to the brim with more than she could ever need. Of course, she foresaw an event like this, so she made sure to bring a surplus of money. This was totally an appropriate use of the Ylissean treasury's funds…totally. Though, perhaps she should have taken trips. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on her, only making her arduous task of carrying all her new property even harder. It didn't help that the closer she got to the palace, the more stuff she ended up buying, only making the rest of the trek that much more difficult.

As Severa rounded a corner, her heart nearly jumped out of her throat as she saw two familiar faces a couple of shop windows away. She ducked behind the corner she had just rounded, trying to listen in to their conversation. "I think it looks good on you," Morgan spoke kindly, chuckling as he spoke.

"I dunno, I don't think it goes with my eyes enough," Morgana responded, her voice uncertain. Severa peeked over the corner, seeing that the girl was trying on a jade-green butterfly hairpin. She took it out of her hair, holding it in her hands as she looked at it.

"C'mon, if we only ever wore stuff that matched our eyes, our whole lives would be a depressing mix of black and gray." Morgan joked. Morgana let out a brief chuckle, though she was still uncertain.

"There are more colors that go with our eyes than just black and gray."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"W-white." Morgana stammered, looking away from her brother and almost catching Severa, though thankfully the redhead was able to duck back behind her corner before she was seen.

Morgan laughed, though it was certainly not meant to mock Morgana. "How about a white flower hairpin then? I heard that some shopkeepers in Chon'sin can make fake flowers that look almost just like the real thing, so they never wilt or wither." He suggested. As their conversation continued, Severa kept watching and listening, oblivious to the presence behind her until she was tapped on the shoulder. She screamed, losing her balance and falling, her bag opening and dumping out its contents onto the street.

Severa groaned, rubbing her head as she lifted it up, trying to get her bearings. Much to her displeasure and embarrassment, Morgan and Morgana were right in front of her, bent over and staring right at her. "U-uh, I, um…" She stammered before a hand roughly grabbed her by the back of her collar and hoisted her up and onto her feet.

"I found her spying on the two of you! I'd bet anything that she's an assassin, sent to kill you both!" The man behind her spoke, inciting Severa to turn her head. Behind her was a man likely only a few years older than her. He had well-kempt brown hair, tan skin, and black eyes, wearing a cloak with a similar pattern to Morgan and Morgana's, albeit with a much thinner, more combat-oriented design. "Shall I take her to a secluded alley and interrogate her? I promise to use methods that won't result in her screaming; I know it greatly displeases Lady Morgana."

Morgan frantically shook his head, laughing nervously. "No need Keith, she's a friend." You can let her go. And, uh, you definitely don't need to interrogate her." Morgan was startlingly calm and friendly, given the circumstances. The man let go of Severa's collar, and only then did she realize he had been lifting her high enough so that she was only on her toes. His strength was startling, especially considering he had a relatively standard frame. "I'm really sorry about Keith. His heart's in the right place, but he's a bit too suspicious for his own good. In fact, just this morning he threw my tea out of the window because he swore it was poisoned! Though he's still a fantastic bodyguard, both in spite of and because of his tendencies to distrust people." Morgan laughed, seemingly oblivious to Severa's cold silence. Morgana meanwhile stood a few steps back, looking more nervous and hesitant than her friendly brother. However, when she noticed all of Severa's things still spilling out of her sack, she seemed genuinely worried, a reaction that Severa certainly didn't expect.

What surprised Severa even more was when Morgana got on her knees and began trying to push and sift Severa's stuff back into her sack. Keith almost immediately got down as well, urging Morgana to stand up, telling her that he'd handle it. "N-no Keith, I can help!" Morgana stammered, grabbing a bracelet and putting it in the bag. Severa looked up from the two and at Morgan, who simply shrugged. Once the two were done picking everything up, Keith lifted up the burlap sack and handed it to Severa, only for Morgana to step between the two of them. "Keith, could you carry that back for her? I'm sure she would appreciate the help."

"My apologies Lady Morgana, but I can not leave your side. That would open numerous possibilities for attempts on your life, as well as your brother's." Keith spoke officially, still holding the bag.

"Who says you have to leave our sides? We'll come with you." Morgan said, looking to Severa. "I assume you were heading back to the palace? You wouldn't mind if we accompanied you, right?" He asked, flashing the warm smile she had always known him to give. Severa was taken aback by the event that had just occurred, and her mouth seemed to speak for her.

"N-no, I don't mind." She nearly slapped herself once she had said it, but the damage had been done. Morgana's face brightened considerably as Morgan nodded in confirmation, turning to walk to the palace. Keith eyed Severa suspiciously but said nothing, lugging the sack over his shoulder and following Morgan and Morgana. Severa walked behind them, nervously rubbing her arm. She couldn't just leave her stuff with them…

Morgan and Morgana made small talk with eachother, Keith and Severa, though the latter two didn't make much conversation back. Most of Keith's few responses were simply him lamenting his lack of a weapon to use in case Morgan or Morgana needed protecting, but Morgan assured him it wouldn't be necessary.

"It's a good thing Keith spotted you; you probably would've broken your back on the way to the palace with all that stuff!" Morgan laughed, and as he did, Severa found herself growing furious. Before she could stop herself from saying something she would regret, her mouth once again seemed to speak on its own.

"What the hell do you think you're trying to pull here!?" Severa shouted, stopping in her tracks. The other three quickly stopped, turning to face her. Keith seemed infuriated that she would speak so rudely to them. Morgana just looked hurt. Morgan…Severa wasn't sure what Morgan was thinking.

"You two go on ahead. We'll be right behind you." Morgan told his sister and Keith, and while the man tried to object, Morgan ordered him again. Keith finally relented, turning and walking to the palace along with Morgana. Finally, it was just the two of them, standing at the base of a large outdoor staircase. Morgan looked down. "Severa, I—"

"No, you don't get to speak!" Severa exclaimed fiercely, her hands curling into fists, though they remained at her side. "Not after everything. You don't get to just turn around and pretend we're friends again! What you're going to do is give me answers. What are you doing here?"

Morgan didn't speak. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Severa, instead turning his head to look at a group of cherry trees nearby. "I can't tell you the truth. You know that." Morgan finally spoke, his voice low. He turned to look at the girl, his face changing to a more formal expression. It was like he put on a mask. "After our mother's disappearance, we decided to embrace our Plegian roots. After all, our country is still suffering. Our heritage meant that we gained positions of power rather quickly. We were sent to Chon'sin as ambassadors for the festival, and with the hopes of negotiating trade agreements with queen Say'ri. After all, Chon'sin is the heart of Valm." Severa could tell he was lying, but he was using the same story that she and Lucina used about Robin. Regardless, she wanted to knock his teeth out.

"Cut the crap, Morgan! What are you really doing here!?" Severa shouted, repeating her previous question. Morgan was silent once again, before quietly answering.

"I told you, Severa, I can't tell you anything beyond that." His eyes were pleading with her, begging.  _Don't keep asking me_ , they seemed to say. "I was hoping we could reconcile. I know we didn't part on the best note, but regardless—"

"No!" Severa interrupted. He was lying, he had to be. He was just trying to get in her good graces so that he could use her to his advantage. He was going to manipulate her. He had to be trying to manipulate her. "No." She repeated, her voice shaky. "You don't get the  **right**  to reconcile with me. Not after all that happened. Not after what you did. Not after you…" She choked back a sob. She couldn't cry, not now, not in front of him. As she looked to the ground, she saw Morgan's feet as he walked in front of her. She felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Severa—"

"I said NO!" Severa screamed, lifting her head up and shoving Morgan away from her, causing the boy to fall to the ground. Before she could listen to whatever he would say next, before she could see the look on his face, she ran past him and to the palace, trying to save her tears until she could find a place to be alone. Thankfully, she didn't encounter Morgana nor Keith on the way to her room.

When Severa entered her room, shutting the door behind her, she spotted the burlap sack in the corner, still full of the things she had purchased that day. As she opened the sack and sifted through the various items she had purchased, she managed to stop herself from crying. After all, what kind of loser would cry because she ran into someone who she hated? She was stronger than that. She was stronger. Severa felt a tear run down her cheek, and before she knew it, more tears followed.

"Damn him…"


	13. Don't Forget That

Lucina readied the sword she had been given, raising it in the same way her father would. He had trained her, so of course, she fought with the same style as her father. Sao'lin grinned, assuming her usual defensive position. "Apologies that we didn't have any double-edged weapons to match Falchion. Katanas are mostly what you'll find, though I've managed to purchase a few Ylissean-style swords. In fact, just yesterday I was able to secure a few spears. They should arrive before the end of the festival. Won't that be fun?" Sao'lin asked. One of her biggest flaws seemed to be that she never found an opportunity to stop talking, even when fighting with others. Of course, as Morgan and Morgana had proven the day prior, it was an easily exploitable weakness. Lucina decided she might as well probe the girl for information about them.

"So, how did the three of you meet? It must be quite the tale." Lucina asked, before charging at Sao'lin. The Chon'sin princess deflected the blow easily, though Lucina wasn't looking for a quick win. "Especially since Ylissean records have listed them as officially missing for a year now."

"Simple, really." Sao'lin began to answer as Lucina charged, then stopped some ways away from her, faking her out. "I saw them training the very first day they arrived. They looked like fun opponents, so I challenged them. Turns out they're fun people too." Lucina's next attack wasn't a fake out, but Sao'lin wasn't caught off-guard, parrying it and turning to face Lucina.

"You shouldn't associate with them," Lucina warned. "They're potentially quite dangerous, and they've got their fair share of secrets." She charged a third time, this time standing her ground instead of running to the other side of the room, following up her charge with another swift attack, both blocked expertly by Sao'lin.

"That description fits you pretty well too, you know." Sao'lin rebutted, kicking at the Exalt-to-be. Lucina jumped back, only for Sao'lin to pursue her, slashing her blade. Lucina was only just able to parry it away, and before she could retaliate, Sao'lin had stepped back, out of reach. "I'd like to become friends with you as well, regardless of that." Lucina didn't respond to that.

"Since when could Morgana wield an axe so expertly?" Lucina asked, circling around Sao'lin. "Last I saw her, she had only just begun any kind of formal training." Just as she was about to charge, Sao'lin made a surprise attack, stepping forward and lunging. Lucina could feel a rush of air hit her as the blade slightly tore her clothing.

"Beats me. Apparently, she can kick some major butt with tomes too, though I've never had the pleasure of seeing it myself." Sao'lin took a few steps back, having successfully caught her opponent by surprise.

"Great, now I'm gonna have to patch that up," Lucina said with a chuckle, bringing her offhand down to feel the tear in her clothing. "Alright, alright, I yield." She dropped the sword to the ground, holding up her hands jokingly.

"Aww, c'mon! A yield's no fun. I'd rather fully defeat you than watch you give up when things were just getting good." Sao'lin whined, though after Lucina insisted she was done, the girl relented. "Oh, alright. I'll beat you properly someday, I can promise you that." She looked out at the open door, showing the setting sun in the distance. "Jeez, I had no idea it was that late." Lucina looked out at the sunset as well, relaxing as she enjoyed the view.

"Hey, Sao'lin!" A feminine voice called out, causing the two princesses to turn towards the opposite end of the training room, where the other door was being pulled to the side. "You ready for some—" The voice stopped as the person it belonged to peered in. Of course, it had to be Morgana. She froze up, going quiet as her eyes locked right onto Lucina. Sao'lin noticed the tension that had quickly appeared and gave a friendly, reassuring smile to Morgana. Alas, it didn't seem to help much. "I, uh…I'll meet you at the usual place!" She shouted, slamming the door shut. Lucina could hear hurried footsteps signifying Morgana running away.

Sao'lin glanced at Lucina. "You know, I've only ever seen her act like that around you. I think she's scared of you." Sao'lin's bluntness hurt, but Lucina knew she had a point, even if she was still unaware of the situation at large.

Lucina sighed. "Yeah, she probably is. Though, I'm a little scared of her myself, if I'm being fully honest. We both…did things we regret."

"Then just apologize. Doesn't seem that tough of a situation to resolve." Sao'lin casually suggested, stretching her arms up high, inciting yet another sigh from Lucina.

"There are some things that you can't apologize for. I'd tell you, but you seem keen on not knowing specifics." Lucina pointed out, finding Sao'lin's insistence on staying in the dark about the details somewhat annoying.

"And I will continue to be keen on that." Sao'lin said with a grin, putting her weapon on a rack and walking out of the room. "I'll be seeing you around. Festival's in a few days, after all." Sao'lin left, leaving Lucina wondering what Morgana meant about their "usual place". With it being Morgan and Morgana, she couldn't help but worry.

* * *

It was far too late to be wandering the halls of the royal palace, but Severa didn't care enough to worry about getting caught by guards. She just needed some fresh air. She had spent the entire day so scatterbrained, she swore she was turning into Cynthia. Well, the old Cynthia. The one who didn't push everybody else away. The thought that they seemed to be turning into eachother frightened the hell out of her.

As Severa kept wandering, she swore she heard something. It almost sounded like…clapping? She investigated, curious as to why someone would be applauding in the middle of the night. The noise wasn't muffled, just far-off, so it wasn't indoors either. She eventually found herself in one of the many garden areas of the Chon'sin palace, though it had taken her a while. The clapping never lasted long, and the time inbetween it returning was always just long enough for her to lose track of its origin. The moon seemed to be far brighter in Chon'sin than it was in Ylisse, though perhaps she was just imagining things; either way, the garden was illuminated very clearly. If it wasn't, she likely wouldn't have spotted the figure in the distance.

The person was female, that much was clear by her body shape. She reached her hand to the sky, folding it back down towards her chest, before extending both arms out in front of her. It didn't take long for Severa to figure out that she was dancing. Likely a performer, practicing for the big show in a few days. Severa was ready to leave it at that, but something about the way the woman danced was captivating to her. Inigo, of course, had dragged her and the others to some of his mother's performances before, so Severa had seen some of the best dancing out there. While it certainly didn't match Olivia's talent—she wasn't sure many things could—it still was enough to send shivers down her spine, even without music to accompany it. As the woman slowed down to a stop, relaxing, Severa heard clapping yet again.

"I really can't believe how great of a dancer you are! The grace, the elegance, it's just…wow!" Severa recoiled, recognizing the voice. Morgana. What was  _she_  doing here?

"Really, there's no need to flatter me like this, I'm not that spectacular…" Wait, Severa recognized that voice as well. It was quieter, more reserved than usual, but there was no mistaking it. She stepped closer to the figure, finally getting a good look and confirming her suspicions.

"Sao'lin!?" Severa exclaimed. The princess, dressed in a silken garb typical to many dancers, her hair flowing freely down to her shoulders instead of in its usual ponytail, spun around to face the redhead, her face bright red and her eyes wide.

"S-Severa!? Oh gods, I…" Sao'lin looked down at her garb, then back to Severa. "This is just, um…" Severa spotted Morgana behind her, sitting on a large rock. She was likely as nervous as if not more than the princess, but she was doing a much better job of hiding it. Though the princess being that nervous was itself rather surprising. Sao'lin always had exuded confidence, but at that moment she seemed as meek as…well, Olivia.

Severa turned to face Morgana. "Is something wrong with her?" She asked, pointing a thumb to Sao'lin, only causing the poor girl to blush more heavily. Morgana frowned, not amused by Severa's sarcastic remarks.

"You can't tell anyone about this!" Sao'lin hastily exclaimed, running up to Severa. "Please, please don't tell anyone about this." She pleaded, much to the redhead's surprise. Severa wasn't entirely sure how to react to Sao'lin's panic, her eyes dodging away.

"What's so bad about dancing anyway?" Severa asked. "You're certainly better than most I've seen. And that's a compliment from me, so you know it means something! I don't see why you're so insistent that I don't tell anyone about this."

Sao'lin chuckled timidly, looking to the ground. "I-it's just that nobody's seen me dance in years. I stopped trying to show people when my mother told me dancing was a useless skill for a future queen." She explained, her voice displaying remorse for what happened. "I wish I had stood up to her then, but whenever I talk about my dancing, it's like all my confidence is just…gone."

Morgana was the next one to speak. "When Morgan and I arrived, we found her here, practicing. That's when we came up with an idea. When the dance performances begin, the last performance before Olivia's will be…slightly changed. We've already made sure the dancer who was going to perform is more than happy to step down and let a certain princess take her place. Of course, we've already got a new outfit ready so Sao'lin isn't recognized—"

Severa interrupted Morgana. "Wait, excuse me? You're going to have Sao'lin dance at the festival. In the place of another dancer. Let's ignore how ridiculously impractical this is for just a moment, so we can get to the big-ticket issue." She turned to face Sao'lin. "You do realize they're totally manipulating you, right? There is no way in hell you can be so thick-headed that you can't realize that." She knew she wasn't supposed to be so rude, especially to the princess of Chon'sin, but she couldn't help herself. This entire situation was absurd to her.

"Oh, we totally came here planning to manipulate her for Plegia's gain. Sao'lin's fully aware of that." Morgana bluntly answered, with the princess nodding in agreement. "But we're friends now. That's the real reason why we're helping her." Morgana smiled at Sao'lin, who gladly smiled back. Severa couldn't believe this.

* * *

"She's fallen for their little charade, hook line and sinker!" Severa exclaimed to Lucina in the latter's room, who was still only half-awake. "If it were anything else, Sao'lin would see right through those two, but because it's her secret dancing fascination which makes her turn into a somehow more nervous version of Olivia, she doesn't even think twice about their motives! It's so infuriating, it makes me just wanna sock her in the face!" She cried out, groaning in anger.

"Definitely don't punch anyone in the face, Severa. We're already on thin ice after that incident in the training grounds." Lucina advised. "Though I definitely share your concern here. I'm worried they might be planning something beyond just gaining favor with the princess of Chon'sin. Knowing Morgan, this is just a cover for their real plan. Or perhaps there's a deeper layer to this that we just haven't uncovered yet." Lucina was fully awake now, her mind racing through the possible plans that Morgan could have.

"I just can't believe how much of an idiot she's being! Even if they can pull their stupid little plan off, that would've required way more time and resources than they could have if they really did just come up with it a few days ago." Severa added, growing angrier by the second. It was almost infectious, though Lucina did her best to try and stay cool.

"Agreed. It's clear they've been planning this for a while. It really could just be a plan to get in Sao'lin's good graces, but…" Lucina paused. "I still don't think that's the case. Something else is going on."

A triumphant grin formed on Severa's face. "Well then let's stop the plan! I bet if we told queen Say'ri about Sao'lin's dancing plans—"

"Then Sao'lin will never trust us again." Lucina interrupted. Severa's face fell. "She'd likely grow to despise us, and that isn't very good when the whole reason we're here is to regain favor with Chon'sin. Don't forget that."

"I knew that!" Severa lied, her voice growing harsher. "Anyways, what should we do now then? We can't stop them from doing whatever it is they're doing without putting ourselves and our own plan at risk." The two girls stopped to think about it, both trying to figure out what their next plan should be.

Lucina was the first one to come up with something. "We'll just have to watch and wait. We need to keep an eye on Morgan and Morgana, even if they, or  _we_ , don't like it." Severa seemed ready to explode at the idea, but Lucina continued before she could. "It's the only way to ensure that if…no,  _when_  they do something, we'll be ready to stop them. Don't think I'm gonna be happy about this either, but this is the best option we've got. Unless you've got any better ideas?" Lucina added, raising an eyebrow.

Severa just growled. "Fine. But if Morgan annoys me enough, I am absolutely going to knock his teeth out."

"Seriously Severa, don't do that."


	14. I'm Not Too Sure Yet

The day of the festival had arrived. All across Chon'sin's capital city, there were performers and the like doing what they did best. Singers, dancers, actors, they all were working their hearts out to make the performing arts festival the best it could possibly be. Lucina was utterly entranced by the sheer wonder, walking through the town with Severa to see as much as they could before the main performances that would take place that night. Even Severa, usually frowning and grimacing, couldn't help but crack a smile every now and then, albeit only when Lucina wasn't looking.

At one point, the two girls stopped in front of a musician, strumming away at a lute and singing away in an unfamiliar language. His voice was enchanting, the foreign lyrics only adding to the mystery of it. Amidst all the hectic performances and business in the capital city in what was likely going to be Chon'sin's busiest day of the year, here this man was, simply strumming away to a small audience of silent onlookers. The peace it brought Lucina and Severa especially was more than he could ever know. As Lucina looked over to Severa, finally catching her smiling, Severa didn't feel the need to hide her smile. The two of them stood there for a short while, just taking in the tune.

By the time they had gotten back to the palace, the sun had begun to set down on the horizon, signaling the start of the main performances. They barely had time to get ready before they were ushered out of their rooms by a palace guard and escorted to an opera house on the east side of the capital city, where the performances would take place. What surprised Lucina was the design of the opera house itself, bearing a design that reminded her more of the colosseums in Regna Ferox than a cultural building in Chon'sin. Yet, despite its harsh stone construction and more foreign design, it still maintained its Chon'sin charm, cherry trees abound surrounding it, with no ceiling to speak of, letting the light of the moon shine down onto the stage.

As Lucina and Severa were seated in one of the boxes, positioned up high and to the right of the stage, they heard the door to the box open. Lucina stood up and turned around, only to see queen Say'ri herself, with Sao'lin next to her. Lucina quickly composed herself. "Queen Say'ri! It's wonderful to finally meet you in person. My father always told me so many grand stories about you." Lucina bowed as the queen smiled.

"It is a pleasure to be able to meet you as well. I offer my sincerest apologies for my being unable to meet you until now. A life in politics a weary woman makes, as my daughter so often tells me. Alas, 'tis the life I'm assigned to." Say'ri spoke, smiling to her daughter.

"Well I bet you're glad you have me around! I can't imagine how hard it would've been to plan the festival without all my help." Sao'lin added, grinning confidently to the girls. Lucina couldn't help but imagine what the girl was like when sent into the nervous stupor that Severa had described. She just couldn't see it; Sao'lin was too confident, too sure of herself. Lucina had no idea how the princess could turn into a total mess whenever her dancing passion was discussed.

"Aye, I am. I feel as if I've thanked you too much at this point." Say'ri answered to her daughter. Sao'lin quickly had to leave, claiming it was some last-minute preparations. Lucina and Severa knew almost immediately that she was probably heading to Morgan and Morgana to get ready for her own performance. She wondered if Say'ri would even fall for whatever outfit those two had cooked up. It was true that Sao'lin looked much like many citizens of Chon'sin, but Say'ri was her mother after all. Say'ri turned back to face Lucina. "Your father's passing was an immeasurable tragedy. He was a shining example of a leader, as well as a warrior. His untimely loss has sent reverberations that will likely last for years to follow."

Lucina's mind went back to that night. Watching her father stabbed through the chest, Morgan and Morgana escaping with Grima. The days after, bleeding into weeks, bleeding into months. Cynthia still shutting herself off from everyone. All the times she passed by her mother's room, hearing her sob from the loss of her husband and all the stress it entailed. Even Owain and Lissa seemed less colorful, less bright. As she felt her fury towards the two return, she held it in. Regardless, she felt far less forgiving of Morgan and Morgana in the moment.

Lucina and Say'ri conversed for a while longer before the queen excused herself, leaving their box. Lucina walked over to her seat and sat back down, her head turning to face Severa. "You sure were awfully quiet. Does this mean you're in a really good mood, or a really bad one?" Lucina asked half-jokingly. Severa kept looking out towards the empty stage.

"I'm not too sure yet." The redhead answered, crossing her legs and arms. Lucina didn't follow up her answer with another question, instead turning her own gaze to the stage below. As the boxes filled up with various diplomats and important guests, Lucina felt the need to stretch her legs before the show began. Watching the show with a busy mind didn't sound ideal, though she knew she still had to remain vigilant regardless. She told Severa, who just dispassionately nodded as she left the box.

The stone floors of the opera house were surprisingly comfortable on one's feet, and Lucina found it surprisingly relaxing to just aimlessly walk through the halls. Nobody stopped her, much to her gratitude, as she simply wanted to be alone in her thoughts. However, following what seemed to be becoming a pattern in her stay at Chon'sin, she was interrupted by the familiar voice of a girl. She seemed to be…sobbing? Lucina headed down the hall and towards the voice, stopping at a corner and peering around.

Morgana was slumped against the wall and floor, her face in her hands as she sobbed, her brother leaning down and trying to comfort her. "Hey, hey, it's alright." Morgan spoke in a hushed tone. "Everything's gonna be okay. It's all gonna be fine now." Much to his and Lucina's surprise, the girl lashed out, getting up and pushing Morgan away with enough force to send him stumbling back until he hit the opposite wall.

"It's not gonna be okay! We're gonna be fine, but what about—" Morgana started to protest, only making Morgan panic.

"We're doing what we have to, remember!?" Morgan harshly interrupted Morgana. "To keep eachother safe! That was what we promised; that we'd do anything to keep eachother safe. That  _I'd_  do anything to keep you safe. That's what we're doing." His voice calmed down, but the distress was clear. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, he stopped, turning his head to see if they were being watched. Lucina ducked her head back behind the corner, hurriedly dashing off before he could investigate. She knew he'd have found her eventually; Morgan was a smart guy. Not to mention that bodyguard of theirs that Severa had mentioned, Keith, was likely lurking around somewhere. Still, what they were talking about had worried her. At this point, she was genuinely worried about Sao'lin and her safety.

Lucina returned to the box, seeing that one of the performances had already begun. She hoped that it didn't reflect badly on her for not having been there at the start of the performance; diplomacy could sometimes hinge on things as minor and insignificant to her as this, as much as she loathed the fact. She sunk into her seat, sighing in worry. Severa turned to face her. "Something up?" She asked.

"Probably, yeah. I'm just not sure what…" Lucina answered, looking through all the boxes until she spotted Morgan and Morgana to their left, both looking rather anxious as they watched the performance. As the show continued, with famous dancers and singers and actors giving the performances of a lifetime, Lucina still found herself glancing back to those two in their box. They seemed oblivious to her gaze, their eyes fixed on the stage and those performing on it. Lucina felt herself grow more anxious as to when Sao'lin was to make her appearance. She started to panic as she wondered if perhaps something had already happened to her. Had Morgana lied to Severa in order to throw them off their trail? Was the princess already in danger?

Just as Lucina began to ponder on if she should do something about her suspicions, the current performance ended. If she remembered the schedule correctly, then Sao'lin's performance would be next. She sat up straight in her seat, staring intently at the stage. A woman emerged from stage left, dressed in a dark black dress, a black veil covering her face, attached to a kerchief that covered her hair. That kind of garb, one that hid her identity well, told Lucina all she needed to know. She breathed easy as the music began. It was fast, frenetic, oddly-paced, yet as she began to dance, it was like her movements smoothed out the rough edges, even accenting them. As drums beat heavily, she didn't miss a beat, her arms folding in and extending towards the crowd only to be yanked back towards her chest as she looked up towards the moon. Severa certainly wasn't exaggerating when she said the girl was a natural.

Despite the performance, Lucina still found herself glancing back at Morgan and Morgana, catching a glimpse of movement. That's when she realized that Morgan was gone. Morgana looked towards the door of the box she was in, then back, noticing Lucina's gaze. She looked terrified. Lucina's legs seemed to move on their own as she shot up from her chair and out of her box, ignoring Severa as the redhead called after her. She dashed through the halls, trying to figure out where Morgan would have gone. Thankfully, she caught a glimpse of his familiar cloak as he turned a corner. She sprinted faster, trying to gain ground, but it seemed he was running just as fast. Lucina had quickly realized that he was heading to the backstage area of the opera house, where Sao'lin would be headed at the end of her performance. Lucina could still hear the music through the walls.

Lucina had lost sight of Morgan, but she knew where she was headed, and just followed the path. When she arrived backstage, she could already notice how dark it was. She ran past a group of performers, bumping into one but otherwise avoiding any potential slowdowns. She searched around, trying to find Morgan, until she heard a loud grunting, followed by a crash. Lucina rushed to the source of the sound, finding a large hooded man holding Morgan up in the air by the neck, strangling him as he kicked and tried to pull his hands away. On the ground near them was a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a knife. Lucina had no time to focus on this, as Morgan had seen her, reaching out a hand as he gasped.

"H-help…" Morgan choked out to Lucina, his eyes slowly beginning to roll back into his head as the man showed no signs of stopping. Lucina's eyes darted back down to the knife. She ran towards it and grabbed it, turning back to the two. Morgan's eyes were desperate, barely clinging to consciousness. She had no idea who the man choking him out even was. Her mind flashed once again to the night of her father's murder. Her life upended in an instant. Everyone she loved suddenly more distant, less warm. She knew it wasn't his fault. She  _knew_  it wasn't because of him. So why couldn't she stop hesitating?

Was the man a performer, or a guard? Was he some third party? More and more questions raced through Lucina's mind. Morgan was unconscious. The man was still squeezing around his neck. What was she supposed to do? Morgan was the one discussing with his sister about how someone wasn't going to be "okay". He was the one who lied to her about who Morgana was. She was the one who lashed out at him that night, shouting and screaming that she'd kill him and Morgana, and he ran. Why would he trust her to save her, even after all of that? Was this just an act of desperation, a last-ditch attempt to save his own skin? Or did he really believe she would save him, despite all that happened? But what if that man really was just trying to help, to stop him from harming Sao'lin? Who was to say he wasn't manipulating her, playing off her weaknesses and making her unsure of herself? What if this was all just a part of his scheme?

Then again, what if it wasn't?

Lucina had no more time to deliberate. She took a heavy breath, steeled herself, and charged, lunging with the knife held in her tightened grip.


	15. That's Impossible

Lucina plunged the knife deep into the hooded man's back, causing him to cry out in pain, dropping Morgan, who hit the floor, still unconscious. Lucina wasted no time, pulling the knife out and stabbing the man again. Once more sent the man to his knees, and though he tried to push Lucina away, she stayed on top of him, shoving him to the ground with the knife still in his back. She looked down at the unfamiliar man, seeing he was incapacitated, and got off him, rushing over to Morgan.

Lucina rolled Morgan onto his back, relieved to see he was still breathing. "Morgan." She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, trying to awaken him. "Morgan, get up!" She shook him again, this time eliciting a soft groan as Morgan's eyes flickered open. He looked up at her, confused and dazed.

"Lucina?" He coughed, inhaling deeply. "You…you saved me." He seemed genuinely surprised by the turn of events. Lucina wasn't sure what to feel, though she was pretty sure she was glad that he was still alive. Morgan began to get up, so Lucina stood up in order to help him get on his feet. He brushed himself off, still clearly a little out of it, and walked over to the man on the ground. "I caught a glimpse of him from my box seat, so I went to investigate. Sure enough, he was planning on using that," He pointed to the bow and quiver of arrows that still laid on the floor. "to shoot Sao'lin during her performance." Morgan let out a quick gasp as he identified the man. "Keith!?" Lucina recognized the name; Severa had told her it was the name of the bodyguard that followed Morgan and Morgana around.

"Your bodyguard was trying to assassinate Sao'lin?" Lucina asked with suspicion. "People you trust tend to get other people killed." Lucina regretted saying that as soon as it came out. She knew the snide remark was unnecessary. Morgan didn't seem to take too kindly to it, but he said nothing about it, only sighing.

"I'm going to go alert someone. Stay here and make sure he doesn't try and escape." Morgan told Lucina, already walking off. Lucina, still wary of him, stopped him by grabbing his arm, preventing him from walking away.

"You're not going anywhere, Morgan," Lucina spoke commandingly, maintaining her tight grip on Morgan's arm. The boy turned around, now facing Lucina. There it was again, that look of guilt that he seemed to permanently carry ever since Lucina had encountered him a few days prior.

"Someone needs to go alert the guards, Lucina!" Morgan exclaimed impatiently, though he didn't try and yank his arm away. "If you think I'm a part of this, would leaving me here with my supposed co-conspirator be any better of a choice? You can't just stay here to keep an eye on me." He argued. Lucina had to admit, he had a point. That is, until a voice spoke from behind him.

"I'll alert the guards," Severa said, both Lucina and Morgan turning their heads to face her. A relieved smile broke out on Lucina's face. "Glad to know Morgan hasn't lost his ability to make a damned mess out of things. Keep an eye on him, will ya?" She asked Lucina, giving her a grin and a sly wink before turning around and running out of the doorway.

Lucina let go of Morgan's arm. "Sit down." She instructed, which he followed, sitting down on the floor, setting his hands on his lap. "What the hell are you involved in, Morgan?" Lucina was exasperated by this point. It seemed like every time she was close to understanding what was happening, another layer unfurled. "What has Grima gotten you trapped in?"

Morgan looked away from the girl, his tone bitter as he spoke. "Why do you care?" It wasn't deflective so much as it was genuinely curious. He seemed to really want to know why she would care about what happened to him, even if he clearly has pessimistic assumptions about it. Lucina only grew more frustrated by this.

"Damnit, Morgan! Don't do this, not now!" Lucina shouted angrily. Morgan looked over at her, surprised that the usually calm and collected Lucina would become so suddenly emotional. "Do you even know how hard it was for me to look past my own guilt and anger, to see that what happened that night wasn't your fault!?" She turned and walked to him, grabbing him by the collar and hoisting him up so he was at her eye level. "Yet here you are, moping around when people are in danger! I heard some of your argument with Morgana. You're putting people's lives at risk, you're putting your relationship with Morgana at risk! And for what?" Lucina asked demandingly. She refused to back down. Even if she had to chew him out, to scream at him like Severa would, she needed him to see some kind of reason.

Morgan finally gathered the courage to speak back against her. "I'm doing it to protect my sister!" He shouted in Lucina's face. "We'll both be dead if we don't follow  _her_  orders. Knowing her, she'll use her control to make Morgana kill me herself! You have no idea what she can do to us, yet you claim we can just move past it!?"

"Grima's an  _it_ , not a  _she_. That thing is nothing more than a sick, disgusting beast, and it's parading you two around as its puppets! I can already guess that it wanted you to kill Sao'lin, but you betrayed it and saved her! So why the hell are you still refusing to go all the way? Why can't you just come back to us!?" Lucina realized her hands were trembling, still tightly gripped around Morgan's collar. Not only that, but tears were steadily sliding down her cheeks. "Damnit Morgan, I'm sorry, okay?" She sniffed. "I'm sorry for those stupid things I said that night. I'm sorry for trying to hurt Morgana. I'm sorry for driving you two away, and towards the Fell Dragon. It's all my fault that you two have been suffering! It's…" She shakily gasped, letting go of Morgan's collar as she sunk down to her knees, weeping.

Morgan hesitated. He bit his lip, beginning to quiver slightly himself. Then, he spoke. "The assassination attempt was meant to fail. There's going to be another attempt carried out later tonight, whilst we're being interrogated by the palace guards. The assassin is going to make sure that Sao'lin's death looks like it was at the hands of a Ylissean. I don't know who the assassin is, or when exactly tonight they'll strike. All I know is that if they succeed, Chon'sin's relationship with Ylisse will be ruined. They'll seek an ally in Plegia since I 'saved' Sao'lin the first time. Sao'lin will be dead." His voice was only slightly shaking as he spoke. "This is the only time I say this. Whether she survives or not, I'll pretend none of this ever happened. If they ask, I will play innocent" He turned and walked to Keith, still gasping in pain as he pulled the knife from his back. Swiftly and mercilessly, he plunged the knife down into the man's throat. "I'm sorry, Keith. I have to protect my sister." Morgan tossed the knife aside, turning back to Lucina, who was entirely unsure what to think about Morgan so easily murdering his bodyguard as she stood up, wiping her tears. "This is the best I can do. Please, just…keep Sao'lin safe."

As if on cue, guards swarmed into the room, Severa and Say'ri behind them. They grabbed Morgan and Lucina, neither of them putting up a fight as they were led out of the room, with some of the other guards checking on the now dead Keith.

* * *

"What in the gods' names were you thinking!?" Say'ri shouted furiously at her daughter. Sao'lin was dressed in her usual clothes instead of the outfit she had worn for the performances. "Did you think that I would not realize that it was you? Fie, I am your mother, of course I knew it was you from the moment you walked onto that stage!" Sao'lin looked absolutely crushed. "Did you have no idea of the consequence of your actions? Of the danger you would be putting yourself in? Your life was almost taken away because of your foolish desires!"

Say'ri and Sao'lin were sitting at an ornately designed table, with Lucina, Severa, Morgan, and Morgana sitting around it, with some of Say'ri's most trusted guards keeping an eye on things. For the past couple of minutes, Say'ri had been downright screaming at her daughter. Lucina had no idea the woman could release such fury, yet here she was, like a demon in motion. She looked to her side and noticed that Severa's face was twitching. Oh gods, was she about to…

"HEY!" Severa shouted, interrupting Say'ri. "Treat your daughter with a little more respect! She's just trying to do what she's passionate about, yet here you are acting like some miserable old hag! The assassination attempt was going to take place no matter what, right? And if Lucina's right, even though she frustratingly won't tell us where she got the information from, then Sao'lin's life is still in danger.

Say'ri cursed under her breath. "As disrespectful and haughty as you may be, you are at least right about my current priorities. Sao'lin's foolish acts will be reprimanded later. For now, we must investigate the validity of the claims that princess Lucina has made." She turned to face Lucina. "You sincerely believe that my daughter is still in danger?"

Lucina nodded. "My sincerest apologies, but I truly can not name the individual who told me this. It would put them in a danger that I do not wish them to be exposed to." She hoped that would be enough to convince the queen, even if Say'ri was still furious at the night's events. "However, yes. I do believe that Sao'lin is still in danger."

Say'ri closed her eyes, likely pondering Lucina's information. Lucina pondered it herself. She knew that however this assassination was to be carried out, it would be unconventional. Sao'lin was always going to be under heavy guard after the last "attempt", so a straight-laced murder via weapon was out of the picture. Poison, perhaps? No, Sao'lin wouldn't end up eating anything. Unless…

"Queen Say'ri, perhaps it would be best if Sao'lin didn't stay in her room tonight. It's possible the assassin could have set some kind of poisonous powder in her room for her to inhale." Out of the corner of her eye, Lucina spotted Morgan's body shift suddenly, moving from hunched over to sitting upright. That told her that she was right on the money. Say'ri nodded, beckoning a guard over and whispering something in his ear, probably instructions related to Sao'lin's temporary change of room.

"We shall continue monitoring Sao'lin's situation." Say'ri spoke, before turning to face Morgan. "Now, I feel that an explanation is owed to us as to what happened." Her voice was deathly serious and dangerously low. All eyes turned on Morgan, who adjusted himself in his chair and cleared his throat.

"I had suspicions of my bodyguard, Keith, for a while now. Despite our best efforts, the Grimleal have remnants still operating. After all, a blow like the one that was dealt by the Shepherds is bound to leave fragments behind. This is why I promoted him to the station of mine and Morgana's direct bodyguard, in order to keep a closer eye on him." The ease of lying that Morgan displayed was shocking to Lucina, starting to make her doubt if what he told her was even true. She pushed the thought out of her mind. No, she needed to trust him.

Morgan continued. "What I did not foresee was him using his new station to make such a bold move. He had smuggled a bow and arrow out of a training room, likely when Morgana and I were sparring with Sao'lin. The design of the bow supports this; it's clearly of Chon'sin origin. He took advantage of our being at the opera house in order to try and kill Sao'lin. I noticed he was acting especially suspicious and took it upon myself to investigate. Sure enough, I found him aiming the shot. We got into a scuffle, one that would've resulted in my death if not for Lucina's intervention." He turned to face Lucina. "For that, I thank you." Lucina knew that was the one part of his speech that she could accept as wholehearted truth. It was clear his time under Grima's thumb had changed him, but he was still Morgan, despite everything.

* * *

The sun had begun to set. It hadn't even been a whole day since the incident at the opera house, and yet so much had happened during that small span of time. The assassin was caught, revealed to be another Grimleal, though that was all the information that was gained before he took his own life. They were a stubborn lot. Sao'lin had barely spoken to her, only offering quiet thanks before being ushered off to a location neither Lucina nor Severa was aware of. Lucina was sure that Say'ri had given the girl hell and had a feeling that she was going to feel the consequences for a while. She felt bad for her, knowing that the girl was just trying to express her passion in life. She hoped that she and her mother could work things out, even if that day wasn't soon.

However, that wasn't the pressing matter. Lucina needed to know something. Even if it changed things irrevocably in a way that she could barely stomach thinking about, she had to know. She looked to the training dummy in front of her. How long had she spent in the training rooms during her stay at the Chon'sin royal palace? Even in times of diplomacy, it felt like fighting and training still consumed her life. Her musings were interrupted by the voice of the person she was expecting. "You wanted to see me?" Morgan asked quietly as he entered, sliding the door shut behind him. Lucina turned to face him.

"I wanted to thank you properly for what you did. Putting you and Morgana at risk like that certainly couldn't have been an easy decision. But because of you, Sao'lin is still alive." Lucina tried to sound as warm as she could, but it didn't seem to affect Morgan, who stared at her untrustingly.

"But…?" Morgan asked. Lucina cursed mentally. He already knew she was going to follow her thanks up with the true meat of the conversation. Damn him for being so clever. Then again, this was the Morgan who hadn't had a surprise birthday party in years; not for lack of trying, he just always found out.

"I won't tell anyone about this aside from Severa. She knows how to keep a secret." Lucina said, and much to her pleasure, Morgan didn't seem too troubled by the idea of Severa knowing about what had transpired the night prior. "On one condition." Morgan froze. Lucina couldn't waste any time, knowing that she was endangering the trust she had managed to win from Morgan the longer she didn't speak. She reached down to her side, to the blade that rested there, and grabbed its hilt. She unsheathed Falchion, making sure Morgan understood it was not a threat. She looked at it for a moment, debating for one last time if she was making the right decision. Then, she rested one hand on the blade, and taking care not to harm herself, she offered it to Morgan. "Attack that training dummy with this."

Morgan stared at the divine blade, utterly confused for the first time in a long time. He looked to Lucina, then back to the blade. He knew to ask questions right at that moment was pointless, and so he took the handle of the blade in his right hand. It was weighty, yet surprisingly easy to hold. No wonder the unorthodox stance that Chrom and Lucina assumed in battle was possible; the blade seemed perfectly balanced for unorthodox fighting. His sword stance was much simpler, yet even still the sword felt natural that way. He recalled when Lucina had used Falchion against him, leaving him with injuries that took weeks to properly heal. This weapon was more than capable of ending the life of someone like him, someone who carried the blood of the Fell Dragon, with total ease.

Morgan didn't bother wondering why Lucina wanted him to do this. That would come after the deed was done. Instead, he raised Falchion, took a breath, and sliced. He straightened his body, looking to the dummy, and found it severed clean in half. At that moment, he allowed himself to ask what was happening. Why Lucina had asked him to use Falchion. Why he was successful. The weapon slipped out of his hand and hit the floor.

"He wasn't lying," Lucina spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "I knew he wasn't. I knew he was telling the truth. I…I had just hoped…" Morgan turned to her, both of them wide-eyed and quiet.

"Lucina." Morgan's voice trembled. "What just happened?"

"Father had given me a letter before he died. He told me to hold onto it, and to open it when I felt I was ready to bear the responsibility it contained. The night he died, I opened it. It told me that you…" Lucina found herself struggling to finish. "You're my brother."

There was no silence to carry the weight of Lucina's words. Morgan wasted no time responding. "That's impossible." His words carried a gentle chuckle, though there was no joy behind them. "That's impossible, because Frederick was my father. For me to be your brother would mean that Chrom and my mother—" Morgan stopped himself. His voice was cracking as he held back tears.

"Morgan—"

"NO! It's not true, it can't be true. What are you trying to do, Lucina? What do you think you can gain by lying to me like this!?" Morgan shouted, the tears he had so desperately tried to hold back beginning to fall. He wasn't an idiot. He knew the proof that he had just provided was reason enough to believe Lucina. Even still, he couldn't bring himself to believe her.

"That burn on your back, Morgan. I don't think it was accidental." Lucina's voice was trembling as well. The distress Morgan was in only made her feel even more terrible. "I think it was to hide the Brand of the Exalt." Despite Morgan's tears, his obvious terror, she continued. She had to tell him everything. "To hide what your mother and my father did. To keep everything secret, so that nobody would ever know."

"She wouldn't do that…mom wouldn't do that to me. She wouldn't!" Morgan wailed. "She wouldn't keep that kind of secret from me. She trusted me.  _I trusted her!_ " He heaved in, his tears falling onto the floor below. "I…I trusted her…"

"I'm sorry Morgan." Lucina lamented, her voice gentle. "You needed to know.  _I_  needed to know."

"Why? Why did they do this to us?" Morgan asked, looking up at Lucina. At that moment, every barrier he had set up to protect himself, every wall he had built to hide his true feelings, every pretense and mask, all of it had been torn down. Standing in front of Lucina was her brother, alone and betrayed. Lucina walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him, the same kind of embrace she would give Cynthia when she was distraught. The kind of embrace one would expect from a big sister.

"I don't know, Morgan. I don't know…"

* * *

It had taken a long while for Morgan to calm down, to accept what he had learned. Lucina stayed with him the whole time, comforting him as he processed it all. In truth, she had trouble processing it, even then. It still felt like some kind of bad joke, like a lie. However much the two of them wanted the revelation to be false, they knew it wasn't. Their parents had betrayed their spouses and their children. Morgan was the result of that betrayal. Yet despite this, or perhaps even because of it, Lucina found solace and comfort in his presence, and he found the same from her.

"You can come back with us, you know. You and Morgana." Lucina offered. As much as she hoped he would say yes, she had a feeling that she knew what he would say in response.

"I…I can't. Not yet. Morgana, she's still under Grima's control. Until I can find a way to end it, she'll never be safe. I couldn't live with myself if I left her alone, and I couldn't live with myself if I took her to you, putting everyone in danger. I have to stay with her, even if that means staying with Grima." Morgan's resolve told Lucina that there would be no convincing him. She smiled.

"You really care about her, don't you?"

"Of course. We may be related, but even after that, I still consider you a friend." Morgan's words hit Lucina harder than he likely knew. For him to still consider her a friend, after all that had happened… "But Morgana, even if she's just me from another world, a world where Chrom and Robin never made that mistake…she's my sister. I have to protect her, whatever it takes." There was silence between the two.

Lucina smiled again. "I hope you do."

* * *

Lucina and Severa left Chon'sin the very next day. They had never gotten to say goodbye to Sao'lin due to the princess still being protected for fear of any more potential threats. Morgan and Morgana hadn't shown up either; it was likely they had left as well, setting off to return to Plegia.

The trip back to Ylisse was entirely uneventful, which both girls appreciated. Lucina and Severa each needed time to think, and the journey provided that in spades. When they returned to the Ylissean palace, Lucina reported the events of her stay in Chon'sin to Lissa, leaving out what happened with her and Morgan.

Severa, meanwhile, had run into Olivia, who had returned only a day earlier. The two of them chatted about the festival in Chon'sin, discussing what they enjoyed the most about it. Olivia's answer was the most interesting aspect. "The dancer who performed before me…I didn't recognize her. I k-know the dancer who was supposed to be performing. That w-wasn't her. Whoever she was though…" Olivia stared wistfully at the horizon. "She was fantastic."

Lucina knocked on Cynthia's door. "Sis? Cynthia? Can I come in?" No response. She tested the doorknob, only to find it was locked. "Cynthia, please. You can't keep shutting everybody out. Please, just let me in." Still nothing. Lucina sighed and left, heading back to her own room.

For a while, things returned back to how they were before Lucina and Severa had departed for Chon'sin, for better and for worse. Melancholy settled in like a fog. The only thing that kept Severa and Lucina going was the hope that they would encounter Morgan and Morgana again.

A few weeks later, those guarding the palace's front gate could see a figure riding on horseback, rapidly approaching. Kjelle, being among them, squinted as she peered out towards the figure, slowly becoming more and more visible. A dark cloak, dark messy hair, pale skin…

Morgan stopped his horse abruptly in front of the castle gate as the guards approached him, stating his business. Kjelle was the first to notice something was wrong. Morgan's breathing was shallow and erratic. He was paler than usual; a sickly, deathly pale. Most worryingly of all was how panicked he was.

"Lucina…where is…Lucina?" Morgan breathed out, his eyelids heavy. Kjelle walked into his line of sight, staring at her long-missing friend. "Oh, Kjelle…" Morgan smiled weakly. "I'm so glad you're here. Get Lucina." His smile faded, his panic returning. "She needs to know…Grima is coming…the Fell Dragon will rise…only she can…" His eyes grew droopier, and his balance shifted. Kjelle barely caught him as he fell off his horse, now fully unconscious. Kjelle wasn't sure what worried her more; Morgan's ominous warning, or that his shirt was soaked with blood.


	16. Anything to Keep you Safe

_A dark room sat nearly empty, its only contents being a few crates full of rations. Moisture was thick in the air as drops of water occasionally fell from the wooden ceiling above, hitting the dark stone floor below. Not even rodents dared defile a corner of a building like this. Then again, it could be argued that a temple dedicated to the Fell Dragon had already been defiled beyond repair, no matter how long it had been since Grima's influence had been felt. However, the temple's starvation for the taste of the Fell Dragon's power was soon fulfilled, as a growing purple flame sprouted in the center of the room, soon growing into a furious blaze. Just as quick as it appeared, it dissipated, leaving three beings in the room._

_Grima grinned ever so slightly, knowing that her instincts had led her to the right place. She could feel remnants of her own power still surging through even this meaningless storage room. She didn't even turn her head to face the two behind her. "Follow me." She ordered, walking ahead without checking to see if they were following._

_Morgan and Morgana seemed to both let out a sigh of exhaustion and relief almost instantaneously. Of course, that didn't mean they felt better about anything, but the lack of Grima's presence allowed them to relax. It was startling just how stifling it was to be around her. As the adrenaline wore off, Morgan felt pain rush to his side and clutched it, gasping in pain as he fell to his knees._

_"Morgan!?" Morgana asked, distressed. She got down onto one knee next to him, moving his hand away and showing just how bad his wound was. She nearly teared up just looking at it, wincing._

_"Lucina g-got me pretty good…" Morgan tried to chuckle to lighten the mood, but only let out a pained wince. Morgana only felt guiltier as she looked down at her brother, writhing in pain._

_"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Her emotions came flooding back to her, and before she could stop herself, she was crying. "This is all my fault, it's all because of me!" She looked at Morgan's face, seeing that he had managed to smile, even with his pain._

_"Please, don't say that." Morgan urged, keeping up his smile. "It wasn't your fault. You had no choice. Please, don't blame yourself." Morgana's crying slowed. Why was he still so nice to her? Why did he still care if she was okay? "Now c'mon, help me up. We need to hide this wound as best as we can. Who knows what'll happen if she thinks I'm too weak to be useful?"_

_Morgana helped Morgan onto his feet, grabbing some bandages from her satchel and doing her best to wrap them around Morgan's stomach and sides with the little medical knowledge she had. She was just thankful that Brady had insisted she keep medical supplies on her at all times, even if it was just some bandages. She made sure the wrapping was as tight as Morgan needed, tying it together. She just hoped it would be enough for now. The two of them headed out of the room, walking up a flight of stairs, crafted out of the same dark stone that the room had been. When they got to the top, they emerged into a large chapel, the ceiling towering above them. The entire area was in disarray, with everything from the pulpits to the front doors being old, worn-down, if not broken entirely. However, it wasn't unoccupied before they had arrived. That was proven by the man in Grimleal robes, cowering before Grima as she held a Levin Sword against his neck._

_"This is all you could maintain, you filthy, worthless speck!?" Gone was the calm voice the dragon had used to speak to Morgan and Morgana, replaced by a voice of rage one would expect from the Fell Dragon. The man whimpered like a dog, his hands clasped together in prayer._

_"Please forgive me, Lady Grima! When your resurrection was prevented, the church was dissolved! There are few left who worship you, and fewer still who do it openly! But I knew you would return, I had always known! I stayed here and maintained the temple for as long as I could, but even now I can only quietly stay here, for fear of drawing the wrath of the local village. Now that you are here though, you can rise to power once again! You can lead the world into glory!"_

_Grima merely scoffed. "I suppose you are right. However, the ritual that brought me back was regrettably incomplete. I may be in control of my vessel, but I lack power. All I need now are sacrifices. Seeing as you're so devoted to the cause…" A wicked smile formed on her face. "Perhaps you'd like to contribute?" With that, she slashed down, the force of the attack sending the man's corpse to the floor. Morgana winced, loud enough to attract the Fell Dragon's attention. She turned around, her smile now soft and warm. "My children, there you are." She sighed, looking at the decaying temple ceiling. "What a sorry state this temple is in. I think you two can help me fix that. Get to work. I'll be down at the village that worm spoke of." She turned around to the door, took a few steps, then stopped, turning her head. "Oh, and Morgana dear? If Morgan tries to escape, whether by himself or with you, kill him." With that, she walked out of the temple doors, leaving the two alone and utterly hopeless._

* * *

When Morgan awoke, he found himself laying in a rather comfortable bed, underneath clean, white sheets. He blinked a few times, the harsh light coming in through a nearby window hitting his face. He tried to get his bearings, looking around the room, spotting a couple of other empty beds and an assortment of staves on shelves. He must've been in some kind of infirmary. And judging by the rarity of some of those staves, he guessed it must've been the Ylissean palace infirmary. His memory of the room was a bit hazy, so he wasn't entirely sure, but he felt confident in his guess. What confirmed it was when he looked to his left and spotted a familiar redhead sitting some little ways away.

Severa hadn't noticed Morgan was awake yet, as she was staring out the window. She was lost in thought, her expression soft, completely unlike the hardened scowl she would usually give. As he watched her, he was reminded of why he fell for her in the first place. She soon glanced over at him, noticing that he was awake and looking right at her. Her face quickly turned to a scowl, though Morgan wasn't sure if that was because she knew he was looking at her, or because she was genuinely unhappy to see him. She didn't give him any help with that, staying silent and getting up from her chair, exiting the room. Though Morgan knew that she would by no means be thrilled to see him, he had hoped she would give some sign of happiness.

* * *

_It had been a month since they first arrived. The temple had gone from a run-down shadow of its former self to a pristine, yet still intimidating and ominous structure. Of course, Morgan and Morgana hadn't accomplished this alone; they had a village's worth of people helping with the task. They didn't dare ask Grima how she had convinced them all to follow her. They still weren't sure they even wanted to know. Whatever the means, the result was clear. The village was devoted to the temple and to Grima, and nobody spoke of the occasional villager going missing. In fact, outside of the temple, nobody spoke of anything to do with Grima. This proved for the best, as whenever Plegian soldiers would come through, they would leave believing the lie that the people were using the temple to store supplies._

_Morgan knew why there were disappearances. Grima was still weak. Although she had managed to strike down Chrom and escape with Morgan and Morgana by her side, it had left what little power she had gained from Morgana's ritual almost completely drained. Only the two of them were aware of just how weak she had become. However, every time there was a disappearance, the color seemed to return to her once-pale skin, and she became more capable. Feeding off the power of simple villagers likely didn't provide her with much power, but it helped her create the illusion of power, and that was enough to keep everyone in line._

_Morgan had tried to keep Morgana in the dark about the disappearances, but she was too clever for that. In hindsight, he likely should've known that she would figure it out. Perhaps he just didn't want her to know for as long as possible. Either way, when she found out, she was distraught. That kind of weakness would lead to death under Grima's watch. He consoled her, and it seemed to help, at least a little bit. They both knew that they had to look out for eachother as best as they could, above anyone else. They were all they had to fight for. Morgan's only hope left was his sister, and Morgana's only hope, in turn, was her brother._

_Morgana had grown to be friends with a villager, Keith. He was incredibly strong, a result of having worked hauling supplies to trade with other towns through the harsh Plegian wastes. He was one of the few who dared speak to the children of the Fell Dragon, though that may have been due to his less than stellar grasp of social cues. Morgan had to use his strength as an excuse to avoid Grima executing him, arguing he could be trained to be a warrior. Not an ideal turn of events, but better than more fuel for the Fell Dragon. He was put in charge of training Keith, despite being a few years younger than the man._

_Keith had gotten a grasp of fighting rather quickly, being decently proficient with a sword and surprisingly accurate with a bow. Morgan had to admit, he was a natural. It wasn't long before Grima finally put Keith to use, sending him out to find and bring back one of the Grimleal's former high-ranking members before the cult's collapse. Whether it was willingly or by force didn't matter. Morgana prayed for his safe return; to what god, even she wasn't sure. Morgan somewhat hoped that Keith would perish during his journey. A quick death seemed better than a life of servitude to Grima. If Morgana wasn't with him, Morgan may have even considered the alternative._

* * *

Lucina entered the infirmary soon after Severa had left, looking down at Morgan. He noticed nobody had gone in with her. "Hey, Lucina. How've you been?" Morgan spoke, his words friendly, even if his tone was far more detached.

Lucina didn't seem interested in pleasantries. "I was told your wound was deep, and that you had been carrying it for a while. You likely would've died from an infection, but thankfully Lady Maribelle was here when you arrived. She was familiar with the disease."

"I'll have to thank her sometime." Morgan seemed to be speaking more to himself than Lucina, as if he was making a mental note of it.

"Why are you here?" The question cut through Morgan's melancholy like a blade, displaying Lucina's clear insistence on getting straight to the point. "Kjelle told me what you had said. What is Grima planning? Where's Morgana?"

Morgan looked down at his bedsheets, his expression solemn. "Go to Mount Prism. Perform the Awakening rite. Then I'll tell you everything."

Lucina was in disbelief. "What? No, you can't just come in here, give some vague warning about Grima, then stay silent until I perform a ritual that could kill me if I'm unprepared. Morgan, you're going to—"

"Do you trust me, or not?" Morgan was impatient by this point. The less time wasted, the better. There was a quiet in the room.

"I trust you."

"Then go to Mount Prism and perform the Awakening rite."

* * *

_It was astounding what Grima had accomplished in the span of a year. The cult of the Grimleal's shattered remnants had been reunited, some willingly, others through force and intimidation. No matter the methods, they eventually came along. Of course, the Grimleal were still nowhere near their former glory, so operating in the shadows was a given, but they still had regained a good amount of their former power._

_Morgan and Morgana were usually sent on diplomatic missions for Grima, especially as of late due to a recent recruit who had heavy ties to the Plegian monarchy. Grima was essentially only a few steps away from being in charge of Plegia. Though occasionally the two of them would still be sent out on those more forceful assignments, where they had to get their hands dirty. This was Grima's way of keeping their hope low and further tormenting them. Despite the things Grima would make them do, she always spoke to them like a mother would. It wasn't to convince them that she was still their mother, rather it was to goad them, to taunt them, to torture them with the knowledge that the monster they worked for was once their mother, and that it was their fault that she was now gone._

_Every day they wished they could find some way to escape. Morgana always came up with new ideas, but Morgan seemed to always find a way it would crash and burn. Most times, it boiled down to the control Grima had over Morgana. They were more than capable of escaping, but Grima had made sure that if they tried, Morgana would lose control of herself and attack Morgan with the intent to kill. They were trapped by this, by her, and the guilt of it tore Morgana up, no matter how much Morgan tried to tell her it wasn't her fault._

_When Morgan and Morgana found out they were headed to Chon'sin, they thought they would finally get some time to relax, hopefully push Grima out of their minds, even if only for a short while. However, their spirits fell when they were informed of their true reason for being there. Keith, now their bodyguard and close friend, would be a sacrificial lamb of sorts, used as a faux assassin, one that Morgan would defeat. After this trust was gained for Morgan, and by extension Plegia, another assassin would kill princess Sao'lin, setting false evidence to point the blame at Ylisse. With Plegia becoming Chon'sin's new major ally, they would manipulate the politics of Valm so that they were once again unstable, creating one massive distraction for potential threats to waste their attention and resources on. Then, Grima would use the Dragon's Table to sacrifice as many people as possible and regain her true power._

_The plan was calculated, efficient, and effective. Morgan and Morgana had no choice but to play their parts like the good puppets they were. They had resigned themselves to the fate of being nothing but tools for Grima to the very end. Then, something happened. Sao'lin took a liking to them. She sparred with them every day, becoming the first friend they had made besides Keith in a year. That wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to become friends with_ _**her** _ _, not the other way around. They were supposed to use her secret passion for dancing to get close to her, but she was the one who trusted them enough to tell them. It was all wrong._

_Then, Lucina and Severa showed up. Suddenly, the plan was changing. Morgana couldn't take the guilt anymore. Before, she was content with the role she had to play, but when she had truly gotten to know Sao'lin, and with Lucina and Severa's presence reminding her of her already numerous sins, she couldn't take letting another person die._

_It was at the night of the faux assassination, where Keith was going to either die or be kept as a prisoner, and where Sao'lin was meant to be assassinated only hours later, that Morgana finally snapped._

_"I'm not doing this anymore." She spoke to Morgan as the two walked through the halls of the opera house, stopping in her tracks. Morgan stopped as well, turning to face her. "I won't do it. I won't kill Sao'lin."_

_"Morgana, what are you saying? We have to kill her, we—"_

_"No, we don't!" Morgana exclaimed. "We've been working for Grima for so long, we can't even remember what's right from wrong! Here we are, perfectly fine with sacrificing the two friends we've managed to make in this hellish fate we've fallen into, just so we can live a little longer! I won't stand for it! I won't…" Morgana stopped, realizing she was crying again. She never was able to stop herself from crying. Why couldn't she just keep her tears in? She backed up to the wall, slumping down and holding her face in her hands as she sobbed._

_"Hey, hey, it's alright," Morgan whispered, looking down at her. "Everything's gonna be okay. It's all gonna be fine now." He opened his mouth to speak again, but Morgana didn't let him. She shot up onto her feet, grabbing him and shoving him away, sending him stumbling back in an effort to avoid losing his balance, eventually running into the other wall._

" _It's not gonna be okay! We're gonna be fine, but what about—" Morgan was worried her shouting would attract attention. Nobody could hear about their plan. He swiftly interrupted her._

_"We're doing what we have to, remember!?" That was enough to grab her attention and stop her from speaking more. But Morgan wasn't just saying this to keep her quiet. "To keep eachother safe! That was what we promised; that we'd do anything to keep eachother safe. That_ _**I'd** _ _do anything to keep you safe. That's what we're doing." He quickly glanced around, checking to see if they were being watched. He almost thought he saw some movement from a corner, but he dismissed it as his paranoia._

_Morgana's voice grew quiet as she responded with just a single question. "What's the point of keeping eachother safe is all we do is hurt people?" She didn't say anything after that, instead heading to their box._

_Her question echoed in Morgan's head as the two of them sat down to watch the performances. No matter how hard he tried to put it out of his mind, the question haunted his thoughts. Maybe that's why he got out of his seat and headed backstage. Maybe that's why he risked everything, all the protection he had given Morgana, just to save one girl._

_Morgan knew that if necessary, Keith would simply kill Sao'lin then and there. Keith was their friend, but he still served Grima above all else. Whenever asked by the two, Keith would just smile and tell them that Grima had finally given him a purpose in life. Morgan regretted that he couldn't have snapped him out of it before it was too late. A scuffle broke out between the two, and hard as Morgan tried, he only had the knife he had smuggled into the palace. Keith was significantly stronger. And so, he ended up in a chokehold, dangling in the air. That's when he saw her enter. Lucina. He reached out a hand to her, gasping out, begging for help, before everything went dark._

_When he awoke, everything seemed to go by in an instant. Lucina convinced him to spill the information on what was going on. She used it to save Sao'lin. Hopefully, the idea of Morgan helping save Sao'lin the first time would be enough to placate Grima. He was just glad that Say'ri wasn't too torn up about him violating the no weapons rule since it ended up saving her daughter's life. Learning about his connection to Lucina only further confused his emotions._

_Morgana was so happy when she found out he was the one who saved Sao'lin. She hugged him tight, teary-eyed, overjoyed. He wanted to see that happiness remain on her face as long as he could. Even on the ship ride back to Plegia, she was so ecstatic. He knew he could just explain to Grima that plans changed and they still had more influence. Or at least, he thought._

_As a Grimleal kicked Morgan in the gut, sending him to the ground, he realized he had thought wrong. Morgana was dragged away, screaming and wailing, as Grima approached. Morgan was lifted up so that she wouldn't have to bend down to talk to him. He couldn't get a read on her face._

_"So, you'd betray my orders just to save that girl? Not only that, but you thought I'd fall for your lies? I know you, Morgan. I know how you work, how you think. I know you're still soft, guilt-ridden. I just never thought you'd act on it." Morgana's screams had grown too distant to be heard. "I'm disappointed." Morgan knew she wasn't disappointed in him, but rather the results of his actions. "Now the plans for the Dragon's Table will have to be accelerated. The longer we wait, the more risk we open ourselves up to. It's now or never." No. No, she couldn't do that, she couldn't! Grima smirked when she saw the panic on Morgan's face. "I think I'll keep your sister alive. She can still follow orders. As for you…"_

_Grima drew her Levin Sword. Morgan looked around for potential exits, possible threats. Once he collected all the information about the room as he could, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He sent a swift, strong kick into the man holding him. The kick would by no means free him, but it was enough for the man's grip on one of his arms to be loosened, just long enough for a page from a tome to slip out of his sleeves. Thank the gods Morgana had taught him her trick._

_"ARCWIND!"_

* * *

"I couldn't find Morgana. She was somewhere in there, and I couldn't find her in time. So, I ran. I stole a horse, used it to get to the border. I fought my way through, stole another horse, almost got gutted by an assassin, and now…here I am." Finally, Morgan's explanation to Lucina and Severa was done. Neither girl knew entirely what to make of his story. Lucina was the first to speak.

"You mean to say that Grima has begun sacrificing people en masse and you didn't tell me until now!?" Lucina shouted. How dare he keep that information from her?

Morgan sighed. "I knew that if I told you before you performed the Awakening rite, you'd rush to the Dragon's Table with a Falchion that stood no chance of defeating Grima. I had to keep it a secret, so you'd perform the rite and be ready to take her on. Do you think I liked it? The longer we wait, the more danger everyone is in, Morgana included. But this is the safest bet for putting Grima to sleep."

Lucina was about ready to argue again, but Severa stopped the two. "I think what matters more is that we get the hell over to the Dragon's Table, ASAP! Lucina, let everybody know what's going on. We can go ahead; a smaller force means we'll be faster, but having backup in case we're held up definitely wouldn't hurt." Lucina nodded, running out of the room. Severa turned to face Morgan.

"Severa, I'm sorry for keeping so many secrets, but I swear it was to—" Morgan didn't finish. Not because Severa spoke over him, or because someone came in to interrupt. He wasn't able to finish because Severa had planted her lips directly onto his own. She pulled back, leaving Morgan stuttering and stumbling over his words.

"Are you healed enough to come with us?" Severa asked, as if the kiss hadn't just happened. Morgan could only nod, his face a crimson red. Severa had to admit, it was pretty cute. She smirked. "Good. Get ready then, you big dork. We're gonna save your sister and beat the shit out of Grima."


	17. Our Own Little Ways

It was so dark, so horrifyingly dark. The pitch black, the isolation, it reminded Morgana of the last time she had fallen into the Fell Dragon's clutches. Just remembering it was enough to make her feel sick; what didn't help was that she hadn't been fed since she was first locked up. How long that had been, she wasn't entirely sure, but she knew it was long enough to have fallen asleep and woken up presumably hours later. She couldn't do much else, on account of her being held up by chains around her wrists.

When light did enter the room, it was enough to make Morgana shut her eyes tight, looking away from the source. She heard the familiar voice of her mother, without any of the familiar love or warmth behind it. "Such a shame that your brother had to make things difficult. It would've all been so much easier if the two of you had just cooperated." Grima grabbed Morgana's chin, yanking it so the girl was facing her, uncaring for if she was hurt in the process. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, whelp!" Grima's voice went to a low growl. Morgana opened her eyes, looking at Robin's face, knowing that it wasn't truly her mother.

"Morgan got out, didn't he? He's too smart to get killed like that. He must've found some kind of way out." Morgana asked, though she wasn't sure how much of it was her legitimate need to know and how much was her just trying to confirm her own hopes to herself. She had repeated it over and over when she was alone, telling herself that he was alive, he had to be alive, there was no way that he wasn't alive.

Grima let out a tsk, pursing her lips. "Yes, your brat of a brother escaped. Killed a good few potential sacrifices in the process. Just another way he's impeded my process." Morgana couldn't help but smile, even in the presence of this monster. "Of course, I know he'll return, likely with help. It would be unbecoming of him to not save his darling sister. Even if, of course, it requires getting help from his true sister." Morgana froze. What did she mean by that? "Oh, I forgot that I had never told either of you. I guess the thought had simply slipped my mind. Your mother may have been dedicated to her husband, but this Robin?" She looked down at herself to emphasize her point. "She made one big mistake with a certain Exalt. Morgan is the result. Lucina's baby brother."

She was lying. She had to be lying! Grima merely smirked. "You'll have plenty of time to mull it over, but there are still things that need doing. After all, we'll need a solid defense to keep them from disrupting the rite. And thankfully, I have a potential leader in mind."

Morgana was filled with panic. "No, no please don't make me, don't make me do that!" She yanked against her chains, squirming and writhing as Grima's grin only grew. "Please, I'm begging you, PLEASE!" Grima once again gripped her chin tight, staring right into the girl's eyes.

"You will defend the Dragon's Table. You will slaughter any and all who attempt to disrupt the rite. And if you are defeated in battle? Make sure that they can't take you alive."

* * *

Getting through Plegia had been…difficult, to say the least. Morgan knew that from the moment they crossed the border, they would have no accurate way of telling who was an average Plegian and who followed Grima. His way of describing the situation was comparing it to a field of mouse holes and snake holes. There were more mice than snakes, so you were fine crossing most of it, but every now and then, the creature that would emerge from its hole would be far more dangerous, and you had no way of telling at first glance. This meant that trust was the rarest commodity for them.

Lucina had to lie about being on a diplomatic mission to get past the border guards, but it wouldn't do for a princess of Ylisse to casually wander through Plegia. Lucina wore a cloak with a hood in order to better hide herself. Morgan kept his hood up as well, effective at passing for a standard dark mage, whilst Severa's regular outfit wasn't flashy enough to draw attention. Speed was their goal, so stopping at towns wasn't an option unless there were no other ones available. The three of them would just have to deal with the exhaustion of a lack of sleep and food when the time came.

The three of them had entered the wastes that surrounded the Dragon's Table, just barely able to make it out in the distance. They had slowed their horses to a normal trot, knowing they wouldn't be able to move effectively in the sand and felt they needed a rest. Taking advantage of this calm before the storm, Lucina spoke to Morgan. "How powerful is Grima, currently?"

Morgan ruffled his hand through his hair, thinking, keeping his other hand on the reins of his steed. "I doubt she's anywhere near the strength that legends speak of, but when I last saw her, her power was about on par with how she was when first brought back. Of course, when she first came back, she was riding on the high of the strength sapped from Morgana. Now, she doesn't get tired fighting like that. I don't think she should be able to just teleport away though, that kind of long-distance transportation nearly killed her then and there."

Lucina nodded, though her mind drifted to Morgana when the girl was mentioned. "Hey, about Morgana…she's afraid of me, isn't she?" Morgan glanced to Lucina, noticing the guilt plastered on her face. "I guess it makes sense, considering what I did. Not everyone can forgive as easily as you can." Morgan turned to face ahead.

"Funny. That's what Morgana said." A chuckle escaped Morgan's lips, surprising Lucina. "She thinks the same thing about you. To answer your question, she isn't afraid of you. She's afraid of herself." Lucina asked what he meant. "I mean, she can be mind controlled to kill anyone Grima wants, regardless of her relationship with them. What she did resulted in Grima returning. I've tried to get her to realize that none of what happened was her fault, but…" Morgan looked down. "She hates herself regardless. Despises herself."

"Gods, I…I didn't really think about that," Lucina muttered. She grabbed her canteen from a pocket on her horse's saddle and took a drink. Morgana had always been so cheery before Grima returned. But when she saw her again, the girl looked anything but.

"She likes you a lot, though," Morgan added. "She's gonna hate me for telling you this, but she's got a huge crush on you." Morgan was rather blunt about it, and that combined with the revelation itself made Lucina's cheeks flush a crimson red. Morgan just laughed. "She's about as far from afraid of you as she can be. Though, I guess that's the real reason she avoided you back in Chon'sin. She…" Morgan stopped. It was clear that whatever he was planning on saying became a bad idea in his mind right as he began to speak it.

"She what?" Lucina asked. "Morgan, what don't you wanna tell me?" Maybe it wasn't her place to ask, but considering what they were heading to, it could be the only time she would find out. Morgan seemed hesitant, but he eventually spoke.

"Back in her world, before it was lost, she and you- well, her world's version of you…they fought Grima, and they lost. Grima captured them both and brought them to her. She used her control over Morgana, and she made her…" Morgan stopped again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you. It's not my right to say." But it was too late. Lucina had already filled in the blanks. She wasn't sure how to feel about the information, and so she just looked ahead to her destination, going silent. She…she needed time to think.

The Dragon's Table grew closer, and in the distance, Severa spotted a large gathering of Grimleal outside the structure. She cursed rather loudly, drawing Morgan and Lucina's attention to the group. "Looks like we're gonna have some trouble," Severa commented, watching as the group seemed to get larger and larger. That is until she realized it  _was_  getting larger and larger. All the Grimleal there were holding Reeking Boxes, strange devices that, when opened, summoned countless Risen. "What the hell? Hasn't anyone ever taught these creeps about an even playing field?" She glanced at the princess. "Lucina, what's the plan here?"

Lucina stared right back at Severa, equally worried. "Don't ask me, I'm not the tactician's kid!" That caused both girls to look right at Morgan, who was already formulating a plan.

"No way we can defeat them. Too many Risen to cut through to reach the dastards summoning them. Our only option will be to charge through and hope we can make it out the other side." It wasn't a great plan, but with their small numbers, and the others still likely a few days behind, there was no other good option.

"Morgan, that's an awful plan." Severa insulted. When Morgan responded by saying he was open to her ideas, she merely growled. "Whatever." They got as close as they could without being in a range that would risk being hit by any magic attacks, watching the Risen shuffle and shamble their way. They got off their horses, sending the steeds running to the side, hoping to attract the attention of some of the Risen. No luck. On Morgan's mark, they ran right at the crowd.

Lucina was lucky she didn't suffer from any kind of claustrophobia, because she felt like she was trapped in a mouse hole with all the Risen surrounding her. Every one she cut down seemed to just be replaced by three more, and she had no idea how far she had even made it so far, due to the shambling corpses blocking her view. She had lost track of Morgan and Severa, though she could hear them occasionally nearby, usually from the former trying to find his allies and the latter hurling profanities at the monsters.

Lucina kept pushing forward, slicing through any Risen that stood in her way. Then, one managed to grab at her hair, yanking her head back harshly. Lucina winced, and her moment of weakness was capitalized on, with another quickly grabbing her ankle. She tried to kick it away, but the horde was closing in, and she realized that they would overcome her faster than she could drive them back. "Damnit!" She cursed, grabbing Falchion and swiping away at them, the power imbued in it from the Awakening rite at least allowing her to mow them down like blades of grass. However, it still wasn't enough. As one Risen reached towards her face, she tried to raise her blade, her arm being gripped tightly by another one. She couldn't fail here! She couldn't, not when she was still so close!"

"GET BACK, FOUL CREATURE!" The Risen around Lucina started crumpling down one by one. She looked around herself, spotting various weapons cut them down. As the crowd thinned, she made out those who were fighting with her. "Fear not my dear cousin, for I refuse to let you fall this day!" Owain!? The blonde swordsman sliced the head off a Risen, grinning triumphantly at Lucina. "What kind of legendary swordsman like me would arrive late? Ahead of schedule is the only option for me!"

"Behind schedule would've been your fate if I hadn't given you a ride." Nah corrected, running into a crowd of Risen before turning into a dragon, sending the creatures around her flying.

"You've got a scratch on ya'! Lemme take care o' that." Brady ran to Lucina, waving his staff and healing the wounds she had suffered. Lucina had a bright smile on her face as her friends made their presence known, helping cut down dozens upon dozens of Risen. She spotted Morgan fighting with Kjelle, Yarne and Laurent, Severa fighting with Gerome, Inigo and Noire. Lucina was so in awe at the sight of all of her friends working together to combat the hordes of Risen that she completely failed to notice a Grimleal ready to stab her right in the back.

A Pegasus swooped down, knocking the Grimleal to the ground as a girl jumped off, just in time for Lucina to turn around. "Don't you dare try to sneak up on my big sister like that!" Cynthia shouted to the Grimleal, whacking him with the blunt end of her spear. She looked up to Lucina, all of her confidence and happiness finally back after what had seemed like an eternity. "You guys were right. I can't just sit around feeling sorry for myself. I finally realized that for myself." Cynthia gave Lucina a tight hug, much to the princess's surprise and delight. "Thanks for never giving up on me, sis."

"Y-yeah. Don't mention it." Lucina responded. Cynthia broke the hug, giving her sister one more nod before hopping back on her Pegasus and soaring to the next group of Risen. As the battle progressed, it seemed like they were finally gaining an advantage, until more Grimleal emerged from the building, carrying Reeking Boxes of their own. It seemed they had conserved troops in case of an event like this. A fight like this would be long and arduous, and Morgan was aware of the fact, grabbing Lucina by the arm and running to the Dragon's Table with her.

"C'mon! They can hold the Risen off; we need to stop Grima." Morgan explained as Lucina sped up her pace to match his. Severa, not keen on being left out, quickly caught up to them as well.

"I swear to the gods Morgan, you better have not just tried to ditch me! If you did, we are totally breaking up!" Severa warned, running up next to Morgan who only laughed, much to her annoyance and embarrassment.

After entering the large, imposing structure, Lucina was surprised by how empty it was. Ceremonial fires had been lit in the hallways, meaning it was still in use, but it seemed that the majority of the forces Grima had brought were out fighting their friends. A few encounters along the way didn't prove too tough, with Lucina, Severa, and Morgan taking them down easily enough.

"Ugh, something smells like a corpse!" Severa whined, plugging her nose for dramatic effect.

"Probably Risen. Keep an eye out." Morgan advised, looking around to make sure they weren't being snuck up on. He was quickly glad he did, as he spotted a Risen approaching from behind. He pulled an Arcfire tome from his satchel, using it to burn the monster to a crisp. The blaze soon extinguished itself, showing even more Risen behind it. "Uh-oh. Probably not a good sign." More Risen seemed to appear out of nowhere, forcing the three to advance further into the building.

Soon, they arrived at a large set of double doors. "This has to be it," Morgan said, walking up to them before turning around to face Lucina and Severa. "We can't hope to take on Grima and the Risen at the same time. That'd be suicide."

Lucina turned around, seeing the group of Risen slowly approaching. "I'm not sure how long it'll take to fight them. We don't know if they're just ones who wandered off from the main pack, or if there are other Reeking Boxes in the area. For all we know, this horde is endless." Just as the three began to contemplate their options, they heard a battle cry from behind the horde. The Risen to the left side had no time to turn around and react as a flurry of strikes tore them to shreds, allowing an all-too-familiar face to push through to the other side.

"Ugh, fighting with two blades is just so unnatural!" The girl shouted, flinging one of her katanas at a Risen, lodging it right in its head. "One blade is far better." She shifted her back leg to the side, holding up her katana in a defensive stance. A Risen lunged at her, an axe in hand. She sidestepped the downwards attack, following up with a quick slice, severing its head from its body, causing it to dissipate in a cloud of ash.

"Sao'lin!" Lucina exclaimed. The princess of Chon'sin grinned, parrying the sword of another enemy and stabbing it through the neck. She pulled back, letting it dissipate as she lunged at another one.

"I knew something was still up. So I ran away from the palace, took a boat to Ylisse, and what do I hear?" Sao'lin took down another Risen. "The Fell Dragon's trying to come back! Of course, I wasn't just gonna sit idly by. Lo and behold, I get here, and your friends are having a big battle in the courtyard!" Another parry, another finisher. "You guys go on ahead. I'll hold these monsters off." Lucina was hesitant to leave the princess, but Sao'lin proved she was capable of holding her own against the horde by kicking one Risen, grabbing the sword from its hand whilst it was dazed, and plunging it in its gut, quickly turning around while still holding onto the sword and using her own blade to decapitate another. She readied both blades in a more traditional Chon'sin stance. "Even if I have to use that stupid dual-sword style. Now go, save the world."

Morgan and Lucina pushed the large doors open and ran in, leaving Severa still standing there. "Hey, Sao'lin?" She spoke. "Olivia spoke to me. She said your dance kicked major ass." With that, Severa ran to catch up to the others. Sure, it wasn't actually what the dancer had said, but she was sure it would help. And help it did, leaving Sao'lin with a delighted smile on her face, fully reinvigorated.

The central room was massive, the walls tall and looming, an intimidating sight, The floor was mostly the same dark stone as the rest of the Dragon's Table, aside from colored half-circles that closed in around the back of the room. Though it was obscured partially by the magical barrier guarding it, the sight was still clear; dozens upon dozens of people, from Plegian soldiers to simple civilians, all mindless and dazed, under Grima's influence. One would approach the Fell Dragon only to collapse, completely lifeless. Even now, Grima was draining sacrifices of their strength, only making her more and more powerful.

Lucina grit her teeth as she saw the Fell Dragon, seemingly unaware of their presence. She charged at the barrier, readying Falchion, despite Morgan calling out for her to stop. Before she could make it, she was charged at by someone from just outside of her vision. If not for hearing the footsteps, she would've been hit for sure, but thankfully she was barely able to avoid the swipe of an axe.

Lucina leaped away, returning to her ready stance, holding Falchion. Her will began to falter, however, when she realized that Morgana was standing in front of her. The girl was paler than usual, her eyes glazed over, a blank expression on her face. Before anyone could speak, Morgana charged with surprising speed, nearly hitting Lucina once again. The princess parried her attack away, leaving Morgana open for an attack, but she didn't take advantage, only backing away.

"Morgana!" Morgan shouted, rushing to the girl. Morgana turned to him, running at him, attacking with the clear intent to kill. Morgan sidestepped her swipe, backing up. "Morgana, it's me! It's Morgan!" Severa ran up to Morgan's side, holding her own sword at the ready.

"I must…kill you all…for Lady Grima…" Morgana mumbled, as if she was half-asleep. She reached a hand into her satchel, removing a tome bearing the mark of Grima on the cover. She opened it, muttering some spell, sending dark purple energy at Morgan. Severa shoved him down, the energy exploding over them, hot air hitting their faces. Morgan looked up just in time to see Morgana charging at him, bringing up his sword to block her attack. The force of the blow was astounding, and as she kept trying to push through his guard, he kept pushing back. He noticed her hands were trembling. "You all must die. All of you…"

Lucina ran over to Morgana, grabbing her from behind and yanking her away from Morgan and Severa. Morgana struggled in her grip, grabbing at her hands and trying to pull them off her. "Morgana, it's us! We're here to save you!" Lucina shouted, even as Morgana forced her to let go and move away with a swing of her axe. "Fight her control, Morgana! You can do it!" Even as she said it, she wasn't entirely sure if she could. If what Morgan had said was true, then not even the girl Morgana loved most in the world could break Grima's control. But, the two of them together…

"Morgana, you giant dolt!" Severa growled. "We're here to help you! We're your friends, not your targets! Don't tell me you're gonna be an ass-kisser to Grima of all things!" Morgana's hands were trembling even further. It was having an effect on her.

"I…" Morgana's whole body began to shake, though her grip on her axe remained tight. "I must kill…" As her three friends stood around her, Morgana seemed unable to move from where she was. She looked down at her hand, inspecting the axe she was holding. What…was she supposed to do? She couldn't remember…

Morgana felt arms wrap around her, a warm embrace. She looked up in surprise, seeing Morgan in front of her. "It's okay. We're here now." He hugged her tighter, even as she winced, bringing her arm up slowly to strike down. "I'm so sorry that I left you here." He reached into his satchel, pulling a familiar book from inside. "Look, it's mom's book. Do you remember how we poured over both our copies? Going over our identical notes? Great minds think alike, I guess." He reached into her own satchel and pulled out the same copy. "You know, I actually noticed that these books are a little different. We each wrote something on the last page. Mine says 'Best present ever' while yours says 'Best mom ever'. No matter how similar we are, we're still different, in our own little ways. I wouldn't have it any other way." Her strike was ready. All she had to do was attack. But she…she couldn't. All at once, consciousness flowed back into her.

"M-Morgan?" Morgana asked quietly, dropping her axe. Morgan pulled back from the embrace, nodding, his warm, familiar smile giving her comfort. Tears began to well in her eyes as she ran forward, wrapping her arms tight enough around him to push the air out of his lungs. "MORGAN!" She exclaimed, tears streaking down her face. "Morgan, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I almost…I almost…" The barrier behind her vanished, and the color returned to her previously pale face. She must've been keeping it up with her magic.

As Morgana sobbed into his shoulder, Morgan looked past her, putting the two books into his satchel. The people who were behind it were all lifeless on the floor, and Grima stood still, facing them, a motherly smile on her face. "You've come. I'm so glad." Her voice was so soft, so kind. Her smile grew wider and wider, forming into a deranged grin as she drew the Levin Sword from her belt. Purple flames ignited in an instant, jetting up from the ground around her. "It'll be so much easier to destroy you all in one place."


	18. The Wings of Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Sunday, I'll be publishing the last two chapters simultaneously, as they're two alternate endings for this story. Also on Sunday, I'll be uploading the first chapter of a new FE story, this time set in the world of Fates, so keep an eye out for that! Thank you to everyone who's supported this story.

Grima set her sights on Morgan. "You may have escaped me, but I know how to turn unfortunate circumstances into boons for me. Now you've brought Chrom's daughter to me, practically wrapped up in a bow. You really are too kind, Morgan." Grima didn't make any movements, keeping her Levin Sword at the ready. "Not to mention her cousin outside, likely being torn to shreds as we speak. When I'm done with all of you, dear little Lissa will be all that's left of the Exalted bloodline. A shame that the last one will be the weakest of the bunch."

Morgan stood up, his own sword in his right hand, grabbing an arcthunder tome with his left hand from his satchel. Morgana got up as well, grabbing her axe from the ground. The four youths stood their ground, weapons at the ready. "Are you gonna try and kill us, or not?" Severa jabbed. "Talk about all bark and no bite."

A blast of thunder from Grima's Levin Sword flew at Severa almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She twisted to the side, letting it hit her pauldron, absorbing the attack. However, the force of the blow still hurt like hell, and left Severa grinding her teeth, trying not to make any pained noises. "ARCTHUNDER!" Morgan cried out, using his tome to send his own attack. Grima held her blade up, absorbing the attack into the electrically charged Levin Sword, sending it right back at him. Morgan rolled out of the way, looking back to see a small crater where he was standing only moments ago.

The four of them scattered to different parts of the room, Morgan moving farthest back in order to hit Grima with ranged magic. Severa and Lucina both went to the left and right respectively, and Morgana charged right at Grima. The girl slashed downwards at Grima with her axe, her attack blocked by the Fell Dragon's sword. However, Grima underestimated Morgana's strength, and the girl broke through her guard, swinging back up and landing a cut on her cheek. Grima growled, the purple flames flickering around her feet growing, forcing Morgana to back up.

"What a disappointment you've been, Morgana." Grima hissed, walking towards Morgana at the same speed she was backing up. "You were supposed to be obedient, loyal. But you just had to form such a close bond with Morgan. Maybe if I kill him, you'll go back to the puppet you're supposed to be." Grima's goading worked, igniting a fury in Morgana that made her rush right back at Grima. Her attack was parried back, but before Grima could retaliate, Severa and Lucina both rushed at her from either side, forcing her to leap back from them. Lucina wasted no time following up, closing the distance and swinging Falchion, managing to cut Grima's arm. The Fell Dragon roared in pain, wildly swinging her Levin Sword, just barely missing Lucina, who retreated back to the others.

"What's wrong, Grima?" Lucina taunted. "Why don't you turn into your true form and destroy us all with a snap of your finger? Unless that is, you can't. You're not powerful enough yet, are you?" Morgan used an Arcfire tome, aiming the ball of flame right at Grima who tried to doge the attack, mostly succeeding. The blast singed her robes but otherwise left her unharmed.

Grima turned her head towards Severa and sprinted at her, clearly intending on targeting what she believed to be the least dangerous opponent in the group. However, she underestimated Severa's prowess with a blade, having all of her attacks expertly parried one after another. Her rage at the parries made her attacks more frantic, sloppier, but harder to predict as a result. Severa ended up taking a shallow cut to the shoulder before she could parry another attack, leaving both of them backing away from the other.

Morgana capitalized on Grima's distracted nature, moving in for an attack from behind. Grima turned and attempted to parry the attack, only for the sheer force of Morgana's axe to knock her Levin Sword out of her hand, sending it skidding across the floor. Grima grabbed Morgana by the collar and tossed her away, sending the girl flying. Morgan ran to intercept, using his body to catch her. It was quite the painful catch, but it definitely beat hitting the stone wall behind them.

Severa ran up for another chance to hit Grima, her inability to use her left hand due to the wound on her shoulder not dampening her ability to fight too much. Grima grabbed her as well, this time by the neck, squeezing her hand around Severa's throat. As Severa choked and gasped, Grima smirked. That is, until Severa smirked right back. Grima wailed and howled in pain as she felt Falchion slash across her back, dropping Severa and spinning to face Lucina, who had a triumphant smile on her face. Before Grima could retaliate, she was pushed away from the princess by an Arcwind spell, courtesy of Morgan.

Grima sent a burst of purple flame at Morgan, who cast Arcwind again, making the flames dissipate. He fished through his satchel, grabbing an Arcthunder and tossing it to Morgana, who caught it and almost immediately cast it, hitting Grima on the side. However, most of these hits were only enough to aggravate the Fell Dragon. Only Falchion was doing any substantial damage.

"Do you think you'll accomplish anything here? You may have gained the advantage, but if there's one thing I learned from my time stuck in this body as nothing but a powerless consciousness, it's to always have a backup plan!" Grima's words were seemingly empty, as no extra help came, and no aces were pulled from her sleeve.

"You really are just all talk. It's a wonder you've survived this long." Severa insulted, slashing at Grima. Grima caught her sword with her bare hands, the weapon not even cutting into the skin. She yanked the sword from Severa's hands, grabbing the handle and attacking Severa with her own sword. The redhead was forced on the defensive, dodging and weaving in an effort to avoid Grima's attacks. However, she slipped up, accidentally not backing up far enough and ending up with a fresh stab wound on her side. She cried out in pain, falling down onto her back.

"SEVERA!" Morgan shouted, charging at Grima. The two began exchanging blows, one attacking only for the other to block. Lucina tried to find an opening but couldn't get a good time to attack without potentially hitting Morgan. Morgana rushed at Grima from behind, forcing the Fell Dragon to contend with two opponents at once. She backed up, changing the positioning so that both dark-haired opponents were attacking from the same direction. She kept backing up, avoiding their attacks until she found the opportunity to grab her Levin Sword from the ground and ditch Severa's sword, retaliating the moment she had the weapon in her hands. With her blade now back in her grip, the two found it harder to get a hit in on her, as when they weren't avoiding her own blows, their attacks were being parried away.

Finally, Morgana found an opening, slamming her axe down into Grima's shoulder, managing to lodge it in deep. Despite knowing the wound would rapidly heal, it was enough to stagger the Fell Dragon, allowing Morgan to shove his own blade into her other shoulder, forcing her arms into the air. Morgan looked back at Lucina, shouting "NOW!" Lucina nodded, charging right at the stunned Grima, who desperately tried to push the two away before she could attack.

Lucina cried out as she lunged, Falchion plunging into Grima's stomach. The attack was so strong that it drove Grima against the stone wall, Falchion lodging into the wall itself behind her. Her eyes widened, her pupils going down to the size of pinpricks as she gasped, coughing up blood onto the holy weapon. Morgan and Morgana yanked their weapons back, leaving Grima's now permanently wounded arms reaching out, her hands trying to grasp and pull Falchion from her gut, to no avail. She kept struggling, even as she grew weaker and weaker, her body crumbling to dust, like crushed-up charcoal. The last thing that Morgan and Morgana saw of her before she faded was her eyes, still glowing purple, filled with an animalistic desperation.

Then, she was gone. Lucina grabbed Falchion and yanked it from the stone wall, hilting it in its scabbard at her waist. Morgan ran to check on Severa, who insisted she was fine, despite the shoulder and side wounds she had. He grabbed his only Vulnerary and gave it to her, watching her eagerly gulp it down. The wounds closed a bit from the healing properties of the drink, enough for her to be able to sit up.

None of them had really stopped and come to the realization that they had just defeated Grima. For Lucina, Morgan, and Severa, it was because adrenaline still pumped through their veins, limiting their excitement. For Morgana, it was because she was worried. Grima's comment about having a backup plan worried her. As much as it seemed like an empty threat, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more truth to her words than it seemed.

As Morgan smiled at Severa who was drinking the last of her Vulnerary and grabbing her sword which had landed nearby her, he felt like he had just been hit by a Wyvern. He fell onto his back, his hands gripping his stomach as he cried out in agony. Severa stumbled to her feet. "Morgan!? Morgan, what's wrong?" She looked up to Morgana and Lucina. "What's happening to him!?"

Morgan's breathing had gone erratic, his body drenched in sweat as he curled up on his side, feeling like he was about to vomit. Severa bent over, trying to comfort him to the best of her ability. Morgana watched in shock as Morgan's suffering seemed to increase by the second. Then, a terrible possibility occurred in her mind. Her legs moved for her, sprinting her over to Severa. "GET BACK!" She grabbed the girl's arms and tackled her down, sending the two sliding away from Morgan, just as a whirlwind of violet flame erupted around him.

Lucina drew Falchion as Morgana and Severa got up, staring in terror at the maelstrom of flame in front of them. The blaze began to die down, and as it did, Morgana felt a pair of eyes staring at her from within. She buckled over, gripping her head tightly as she screamed. A familiar white-hot burning pain filled her mind, overwhelming her thoughts. Severa backed up from Morgana and watched as the girl's pain seemed to suddenly cease. Morgana stood up straight and walked to the flames, standing in front of them, her axe still in hand. Finally, the flames had died down enough to reveal Morgan standing within.

Morgan was breathing heavily, slightly hunched over, his shoulders heaving up and down with every breath. His normally messy hair was now all over, and combined with his terrifying expression, gave the feeling of watching a rabid animal. As he looked up at Lucina, she noticed his eyes were glowing a vibrant purple, matching that of the flames surrounding him.

"I am the wings of despair…" Morgan stood straight, his body still heaving as he slowly, heavily breathed in and out. "I am the breath of ruin…" Lucina and Severa could only stare in absolute horror as he and Morgana, her eyes glassed-over, were surrounded by crackling, raging violet flames.

"I am the Fell Dragon."

Morgan charged right at Lucina, leaving the princess almost no time to react, only barely deflecting the blow with Falchion. "No, no!" Lucina panicked, backing away as her friend, her brother, swung at her with his blade. Severa, meanwhile, found herself trying to fend off Morgana's relentless assault, her body still aching and burning from her healing wounds. She knew that with a weapon like that, parrying was out of the question, so all she could do was dodge and make noncommitted attacks to try and keep the girl busy.

"I told you, I always make backup plans…" Morgan sounded frenzied and exhausted, like he was in a constant agony. "A special rite, to prepare his body, in case my old vessel was destroyed." He swung again at Lucina who felt the sword cut a few locks of her hair, only inches away from her head. Even as Morgan kept swinging, he seemed to grow terrified of himself. "Lucina, I'm sorry, I—" He stopped, screaming in pain and continuing his assault on her. "I can't stop it! Grima's controlling me!" Every syllable Morgan spoke sounded like it was taking all of his energy. "But the Exalted blood, it's—GAH!" Morgan nicked Lucina's arm, creating a small cut. "It's reacting to Grima's presence! It's the only reason I can even fight it!"

"Then  _keep_  fighting it, dumbass!" Severa shouted furiously, trying to keep Morgana distracted and away from Lucina whilst also attempting to keep her a safe distance away from herself. "And tell your sister to lay off me!"

"I can't!" Morgan growled, slashing down. Lucina blocked his attack, pushing him back and away from her. "Grima's too strong! It's like a cornered animal; it's using all its power! But the Exalted blood is reacting to it—I can feel it burning inside me! It's like I'm on fire!" That was no exaggeration; Morgan looked and sounded like he was in complete agony. "Something's happening…they're mixing together, like a forest with flame! You…you need to stop me before it happens!"

"Morgan, I-I can't! I won't hurt you!" Lucina insisted, even as Morgan was hacking away at her guard like a madman.

"You're the only one who can…the only thing that can kill me now is you, or myself, and I can't get enough control to do it!" Morgan explained, even as his head felt like it was about to burst.

Severa swung at Morgana, the girl expertly knocking the blow away with her axe despite the dream-like expression she had on her face. "Morgana, I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but damnit, I'm telling you as your friend to wake up!" No reaction; Morgana just kept attacking. Severa scowled. "Fine then, friendly talk is over." She went on the offensive, making quick attacks at the girl, hoping to wear her out enough to make her easy to take down, but not enough to leave her defenseless and accidentally harm her. She needed to snap Morgana out of it. It was the only method she could think of that could possibly save Morgan. She knew how much of a longshot it was, but she couldn't lose him. Not again.

"I…" Lucina couldn't do it; she couldn't kill Morgan. Even if it was that or disaster, she didn't have the resolve within her to do what needed to be done. That is, until she glanced over at Morgana and Severa, each giving it their all. Even Morgan, though unable to regain control from Grima, was fighting with all of his energy and then some just to be able to speak to her. All her friends were outside, still fighting as hard as they could. She couldn't let them down, not now. She kicked Morgan away, giving her just enough time to close her eyes and take a deep breath. "I'm sorry." She was ready to do what needed to be done.

"Listen here you little shit!" Severa shouted, ready to be as cruel as she needed to get through to Morgana. "You're a strong, fierce girl who just helped us take down the Fell Dragon! What's one final round gonna do to you!? Yet here you are, letting it treat you like its little bitch." Morgana flinched. It was working! Severa kept pressing. "What's wrong? Too much of a damn coward to fight back against it? Are you just gonna let it have its way because you're too lazy to care? Your brother is fighting ten times harder than you ever have, so how about you put some effort in and  _ **START FUCKING HELPING US!**_ "

Morgana blinked, and her eyes were no longer glazed over. She dropped her axe, staring at Severa, before realizing where she was and what was happening. She turned to face Morgan, running towards him, grabbing the first weapon she could find; the Levin Sword that had wound up on the ground after the first fight. Lucina readied Falchion and charged at Morgan, letting out a desperate battle cry.

As a cold blade thrust through Morgan's body, everything seemed to stop in an instant. The fire around him vanished as his ragged breathing was cut off, and letting out one more slow, heavy breath, Morgan fell to his knees.


	19. Ending A: Promise

Morgan looked down, seeing Falchion plunged right into his gut. He wasn't sure, but he swore he could feel it protruding from his back as well. There was no pain, only a growing feeling of sickness that engulfed his stomach, spreading to the rest of his body. All at once, he felt dazed, his body going numb as he fell to his knees. He was only partially aware of the shouts of those around him, his gaze aimed at the floor below him. He saw blood pooling up around his legs, soaking his pants. It took him a few moments to come to the realization that it was his own blood.

Morgan's gaze drifted upward, looking at Lucina in front of him. She was shouting something, repeating it over and over. He tried to focus on her words, to make out what she was saying.

_"..or—"_

_"I—so—"_

_"I'm sor—"_

_"I'm sorry!"_  Morgan finally made out what she was saying. Her face was awash with tears, streaking down her cheeks. Her expression reminded him of Morgana, whenever she would remember the things she had done under Grima's control. Lucina only grew more distraught as Morgan felt his senses grow duller and duller. He reached out a hand to Lucina's cheek, using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

"Don't be sorry…" Morgan insisted, barely able to hear his own voice. "You did the right thing, Lucina. No shame in that." Every word felt like it was a marathon, sapping him of his strength and breath. Someone else got down, shouting far more angrily than Lucina was. Oh, it was Severa…she looked different than usual. She wasn't scowling or frowning. She was just crying. She was telling him something too.

 _"Please, you can't leave me again! Damnit Morgan, don't you dare!"_  Severa begged, the desperation in her voice apparent even with Morgan's fading perception.  _"You…you can't go."_  Severa's voice cracked, her fear becoming more prominent. Morgan couldn't leave her like this.

"C'mon Severa, lighten up." Morgan forced a sickly smile. "Don't spend time regretting me. Just…keep moving forward like you always do. For me." He wasn't sure if his words were even affecting either of them, their faces still ones of sadness and regret. He hoped that it would reach them, even if it was after he was gone. He looked further up, seeing one more face, the girl it belonged to standing behind the two. His vision was so blurry, he couldn't even make out her face. But he knew who she was. How could he forget?

The girl spoke something inaudible to Morgan. He regretted not being able to hear her last words to him. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry that he wasn't able to receive them. He just hoped she'd receive his. He gathered the last of his strength and spoke to her. "Morgana…none of this was ever your fault. Promise me…" He felt himself grow lighter, losing the feeling in his feet, then his legs and his fingers. "Promise me you won't hate yourself anymore." A single tear shed down his cheek. "Promise…"

The last of Morgan dissipated into ash, fading away just like his mother, the only trace left of him being the Falchion on the ground where he once stood.

* * *

Morgana headed up a long staircase, the occasional torch mounted on the wall allowing her to see on her way up. She was dressed in her usual cloak, her satchel slung over her shoulder. Her hair was longer, reaching down to the nape of her neck. Her arms swung gently with each step she took, her footsteps echoing across the stairway. Finally, she reached the top, standing on a balcony overlooking the Ylissean palace, the sun rising in the horizon ahead. Ahead of her, leaning over the balcony railing, was Lucina, wearing a simple sky-blue dress. "You wanted to see me?" Morgana asked, notifying Lucina of her presence. The girl turned to face her, smiling.

"Hey," Lucina spoke, turning back to face the sunrise. Morgana walked up next to her, standing straight as she gazed down at the city below them. A soft breeze hit the two of them, causing Morgana's cloak and Lucina's dress to flutter.

"I heard you turned down the title of Exalt again." Morgana mentioned. "Someday you're gonna have to carry that torch, even if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to." Lucina began. "Leading the people is important, and it's not something I'll shy away from. It's just…I'm not ready for the responsibility. Not quite yet." Lucina's mind flashed back to Morgan. Even after everything, she couldn't save him in the end. Her brother was dead because of her. She wasn't sure if she could ever forgive herself, despite knowing that's all Morgan would've wanted. "Severa told me you're leaving. Is that true?" Lucina's voice wasn't as happy anymore. Instead, she just sounded downtrodden.

"…Yeah. Severa wasn't supposed to tell you though."

"Well, she made the excuse that as my retainer, she needed to inform me of anything that was important. Though if you ask me, I think she just wanted to gossip." Lucina giggled at that part.

"Well, jokes on her. I told Inigo this totally fake advice on how to woo her, and he fell for it hard. She's gonna return to her room tonight to find it filled to the brim with rose petals." That got a hearty laugh out of Lucina. Morgana laughed alone, stuffing her hands in her cloak pockets. "She can think of it as my farewell present." Her smile faded. "I'm leaving tomorrow, actually."

"Why leave?"

"I…" Morgana paused, collecting her thoughts. "When I was in Plegia, serving under Grima, I saw just how bad things were there. People were still suffering, even so long after the war. Morgan thought people joined Grima out of fear, but I think they were just desperate. Desperate for something to give them hope." Another gust of wind hit the two. "I'm the Fell Dragon's daughter. I can use that to get into a position of power. Then, I can start changing things from the inside. I can get rid of the Grimleal once and for all, or maybe even use them to do some real good. It'll take time, but I think I can make a difference there. Grima's still not gone for good, either. As long as it only sleeps, the chance remains that it'll one day return. I need to help make sure that day never comes." Lucina didn't say anything. "I know, it's dangerous. I'll have to watch my back constantly."

"You can handle it. I know you can." Morgana was surprised by Lucina's response to what she had said. The princess turned to face Morgana, her smile even brighter than before. "If anyone can accomplish something like that, it'll be you." Morgana didn't know what to say. She expected Lucina to try and stop her. Maybe that was just her pessimism forming unrealistic expectations. "Just remember that you'll always have a home here." Morgana felt a pang in her heart, turning back to face the sunrise.

"Hey Lucina..." Morgan began to ask. "How did you perform the Awakening Rite? It was so impromptu, and you didn't even know what you needed it for, yet you accomplished it and returned safe and sound. If you don't mind me asking…what got you through it?"

Lucina paused for a moment to consider her answer. "I thought of the people I wanted to protect. I thought of Cynthia, of Owain, of Severa and Morgan and everybody else. I thought of you. That's what got me through it."

Slowly, hesitantly, Morgana moved her hand towards Lucina's, now at the girl's side. Just as her hand was about to grab onto Lucina's, she stopped herself, pulling away.  _Not now,_  she thought.  _Another time._  Even as she told herself it was the right choice, she felt like she was gonna cry. After all this time, she still couldn't confess to her.

Morgan's self-pity was interrupted as she felt a warm hand grab onto hers, fingers wrapping around it. Her eyes widened as she turned to face Lucina, who had gently grabbed her hand. Morgana felt her face go crimson from embarrassment, butterflies forming in her stomach as she saw Lucina's face form a hint of red as well. "Promise you'll come back safe, okay?" Lucina asked. Morgana felt her eyes water as she formed a joyful smile, her eyes closing. She nodded her head.

"Promise."


	20. Ending B: Possibility

Lucina charged at Morgan, ready to strike, Falchion in hand. Then the sound of metal tearing through flesh stopped her in her tracks. She and Morgan both looked down, seeing the cragged tip of a Levin Sword jutting out of his stomach. Behind him, Morgana spoke. "The only thing that can stop Grima is Falchion…and itself." Morgan felt a wave of weakness overcome him. Morgana felt the same. The two collapsed to their knees.

Morgan gasped and shuddered as pain erupted through his stomach, grasping at his gut, feeling his own blood get onto his hands. Morgana crawled around him, starting him in the eyes, trying to comfort him "Shh, it's okay, it's alright. You're gonna be fine." She kept looking at him, keeping eye contact. Morgan looked right back, before breaking out in a chuckle.

"I didn't even think of something like that…" Morgan complimented, impressed. "But you…" He noticed how weak Morgana looked, the color seeming to drain from her face.

"Yeah. I think I'm fading away too. Guess that's what happens when you technically kill yourself" Morgana smiled, trying to put on a brave face for her brother. It was her turn to be the one who provided comfort to the other, who hugged them and told them that everything would be okay. She could tell Morgan needed it. "It was always a possibility. A risk I needed to take."

Lucina and Severa could only silently watch as the two embraced, hugging eachother tight. Morgan looked up to Severa, noticing the anguish on her face. "Look at me, huh? In the end, I messed up again. Guess that's just my fate." He chuckled again, his voice already noticeably weaker.

"No, no it's not!" Severa finally spoke, tears beginning to fall down her face. "Morgan, you are the smartest, cleverest, funniest, most amazing guy I've known. You didn't mess anything up! You just…" She inhaled, her breath shaky. "Weren't dealt the right hand. It's not your fault."

Morgan took comfort in Severa's words, closing his eyes and nodding slowly. "Maybe you're right. I guess self-confidence wouldn't be the worst note to end off on, huh?" He kept his embrace around Morgana, who had herself looked up, facing Lucina.

"I'm so sorry Lucina, I messed everything up…" Morgana felt herself starting to cry. She had ruined everything. She was the reason Grima returned, she was the reason Chrom was gone, she was the reason her own world was lost. "I couldn't do anything right. Every time I needed to succeed, I let everyone down. I…I let you down." Morgana choked on her tears. "I couldn't even work up the courage to tell you that I love you! I'm so sorry!"

Lucina held back her tears. Another crying face was the last thing Morgana needed right now. She walked to the girl, getting down on her knees and cupping her hand around the girl's cheek. "Morgana…there's nothing to forgive." She gave her a heartfelt, genuine smile. Morgana was utterly shocked by Lucina's response. But she quickly finally realized the message Lucina had given to her, and the message Morgan had been trying to make her understand. It wasn't her fault.

Lucina stood up and stepped back, letting Morgan and Morgana continue their embrace. Their bodies slowly began to turn to ash, beginning to fade away. Morgana tried to stay strong but found herself crying yet again. "Morgan, I…I'm scared." It was like she was losing herself, her body and mind emptying and vanishing.

Morgan felt a tear slide down his own cheek. "It's okay to be scared." Another tear followed, and another after that. "I am too." The two hugged eachother tight as they both faded into nothing, gone as if they had never truly existed in the first place.

* * *

The day had finally arrived. Lucina was to become the Exalt, inheriting her birthright and beginning her task of leading the people. Aunt Lissa had spent months on end educating her in every aspect of this sort of life, having learned from experience by helping Chrom when he accepted the title. It was overbearing, but helpful regardless, and Lucina appreciated it. Of course, Lissa wasn't the only help that Lucina had received.

"Don't look anyone directly in the eyes, they'll either take it as a sign of fear or a challenge," Severa advised, fixing Lucina's hair into a braid as she sat down in front of a mirror. "And try to keep your temper down! The only thing people hate more than an idiot is an aggressive idiot." As Lucina's retainer, Severa had wormed her way into just about every facet of Lucina's life, making sure that everything was the best it could be. Was this what it was like for her father with Frederick around? Then again, she doubted Frederick would ever be as snarky as Severa.

"I know Severa, I know. I'm ready." Lucina said to the girl, trying to reassure her. Severa sighed, continuing her work on Lucina's hair.

"Sorry, my nerves are still shot. It's just that today's the big day and if something goes wrong, you're gonna pay for it for the rest of your life!" Severa flinched as she noticed nervousness creep onto Lucina's face. "Sorry, wrong thing to say."

"I know you're my retainer and all, but you don't need to devote so much of yourself to me. You've got your own life to live. Don't let me get in the way of that." Lucina advised, though it didn't seem to help Severa much at all. She sighed, gaining a suspicion of why she was acting the way she was. "This is about them, isn't it?"

Severa hesitated, briefly pausing her work on Lucina's hair. Then she resumed, nodding. "Yeah. I just…I have this feeling, you know? That maybe they're still out there, somewhere. It's stupid, I know, but that thing you said Naga told you after you performed the Awakening…do you think it could be possible?"

Lucina recalled what the Divine Dragon had said to her, reciting the words out loud. "If Grima were to end its own life, it would almost certainly vanish from existence. However, if it were to form significant, powerful bonds with those around it, it's possible those bonds may help it return. Even if they did, it may not return when or where it should. Regardless, the possibility remains." She smiled softly. "Yeah, I think it's possible. Even if we never see them again, I believe that they're still out there. Somewhere."

A knock was heard on the door to Lucina's room. "Lucina?" Aunt Lissa asked from the other side. "It's time." Severa finished up Lucina's braid, stepping back and letting the girl admire the look in the mirror.

Lucina stood up as well, turning to face Severa. "Ready?" The redhead nodded in affirmation, a confident grin on her face. Her grin proved to be infectious, spreading to the soon-to-be-Exalt as well. "Then let's go. Can't keep the people waiting, after all."

* * *

In a field of tall grass, a young man laid on his back, breathing softly through his mouth. A breeze blew by, cold and strong enough to stir him from his slumber, his eyes fluttering open as he groaned. He looked up at the sky, a clear blue with only a few clouds. The harsh rays of the sun made him squint, holding his arm above him to block it from his vision. He sat up, his back aching from the rest on the tough ground. He looked around, unable to recognize anything familiar about his environment. "Wh-where am I? How'd I end up here?" He asked himself.

The boy's ashen black eyes looked down to his side where he noticed a satchel laying, the strap hanging over his shoulder. He grabbed it and opened it up, sifting through its contents. He recognized most of them, mainly spell tomes of various strength and elements. He noticed a familiar book and pulled it out, recognizing it as his mother's tactics book that she had been given to him. He remembered how happy he was the day she gave it to him, all the hours he had poured over it. He looked down in his satchel and noticed something…odd. He pulled out another book, recognizing it as the same tactics book. He flipped through the pages, finding they were seemingly identical, even down to the dog ears. Why did he have two copies of the same book? He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. A question for another time. He put the two books back in his satchel and closed it, getting up to his feet. He needed to figure out where he was.

After a while of aimless wandering, Morgan noticed a large stone structure in the area. It must've been some kind of ancient temple, if the construction and age of the structure was anything to go by. It seemed to be abandoned, so he decided to go inside to investigate. Within the temple, it seemed to glow an iridescent blue, likely some result of the pools of water taking up a surprising amount of the floor. He had to make sure to watch his step, or else risk falling in. He swore he heard voices in the distance but thought that it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him, or maybe echoes from his own footsteps. As he approached a stairway, he realized that the sounds were getting louder, and they most certainly won't his own footsteps.

"Footsteps!" He thought out loud, unable to see what they were coming from, the way he came shrouded in shadow. "…Probably not friendly. And likely more down those stairs…" He looked down the stairwell, gulping nervously. He wracked his brain for some kind of idea of what to do. "Think, Morgan, think! How would mom handle this?" He tried to imagine her response to a situation like this. Perhaps cast Arcfire into the dark corridor, see if it would illuminate the threat. Deal with it accordingly, either fighting back or running down the stairway. If he hit trouble down there, the way was narrow enough that a well-timed Thoron could likely take care of them all at once. He was ready.

These monsters were unnatural, unnerving, and most importantly, dangerous. They moved unpredictably, attacking when and where Morgan least expected. Ironically, that became the most predictable part about them. He had fought through more than a few of them, managing to make it out with only a few scratches. As he ran onto a platform surrounded by water, he stopped to take a breath, bending over and putting his hands on his knees. He didn't hear the growl of another monster until it was already swinging at him. He wouldn't have enough time to stop it, it was gonna hit him for sure—

A blast of fire hit the creature, burning it to a crisp. Its charred remained fell to the ground, revealing the woman behind it who had saved Morgan's life. Long silver hair tied into pigtails went down below her shoulders, resting in front of her dark black and purple cloak. Her eyes, a soft hazel, seemed perplexed by Morgan's presence. "You...don't look like a treasure hunter. What brings you here?" She asked. Morgan's face lit up as he recognized who she was

"There you are, Mother! I was beginning to think we got separated." Morgan said happily, ignorant of the confusion on Robin's face.

"...I'm sorry, what?" Robin asked, though Morgan was hardly listening.

"Well, no harm done. At least we can head home now." Morgan noticed just how young his mother looked, finding it rather odd. "...Goodness, the air here agrees with you! You look a decade younger, at least."

Robin brought the conversation back to the previous topic. "Wait. Let's go back to the 'Mother' thing." An idea came into her head. "...Did you travel back from the future with Lucina?"

"Huh? Who's Lucina? And did you seriously just ask me if I came from the future?" Morgan was confused, but his heart sank when he realized Robin was even more confounded than he was. "...Why are you looking at me like that? Hello? It's me! Morgan!" No response, not even a glimmer of recognition. "...Your son? Love of your life and strapping young lad and all that? Wow, you're really acting strange today. Let's go home and get you to bed. Hmm, but which way is home?" Morgan remembered that he still wasn't entirely sure exactly where he was. "Is it—" A searing pain hit Morgan, causing him to nearly lose his footing as vertigo hit. "Ngh! M-my head!"

"Easy—don't try to force it! Just stay calm and listen to me. I know this sounds mad, but I believe that you came here from the future." Robin explained, approaching Morgan and putting a hand on his shoulder, checking to see if he was okay.

"Are you out of your mind? That's not even possible!" Morgan exclaimed, in pure disbelief. Did his mother really think something as ridiculous as that was a possibility?

"Actually, it is. Think about it. You said I looked younger, but look again. Closely. Do I look like I'm of an age where I could have a child as old as you? At this point in time, in OUR time, you still haven't been born."

"Y-you do look younger, but..." Morgan still couldn't believe her. He couldn't have possibly been from the future! But, then again…so many things didn't make sense. He had just woken up in a field, unable to remember anything but his mother. There were two copies of the same unique book in his satchel. And he couldn't get an image out of his mind. There was a girl, standing in front of him and smiling. The image of her face was blurry, and every time he tried to focus on it, another migraine hit. All he could figure out was that her hair and eyes were dark, colored similarly to his own. Who…was she?

"It's hard, I know," Robin spoke reassuringly, trying to comfort Morgan. "And you don't have to believe me right this minute. But you must come with me. It's dangerous alone, especially if your memory is gone." Morgan still seemed hesitant, so Robin tried to help him relate. "I was in the same position once, you know. If Chrom hadn't found me lying in that field, who knows what would've happened to me..."

"Wait, you woke up in the middle of a field, too? Hah! Like mother, like son, huh? Oh, that's too funny!" Morgan exclaimed, finding himself chuckling despite the situation around him. Perhaps he was just clinging to the only good news he could think of.

"...Glad to see you inherited my blithe outlook." Robin remarked dryly. She sighed, running her hands through her hair. "Just try to stay close, will you?" She could already tell Morgan was going to be quite the handful.

Morgan looked at his mother. Something inside of him blossomed, a feeling of overwhelming joy. It felt like he hadn't seen his mother in an eternity. Perhaps he truly hadn't. With his memory shot full of holes, who knew what had happened to him? Maybe if he followed her, he'd start remembering things. It was the best chance he had. Even if it wasn't, there was no reason not to go with her. She was his mother, after all.

Morgan nodded his head, giving a delighted smile. "Yes, ma'am!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


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